History- The transcontinental railroad and the Homestead Act

What was the transcontinental railroad

a rail rink between the east and the west

Who built the most of the railroads in the US

private enterprise

What were two ways the congress encouraged construction of the transcontinental railroad

\-it provided money in the form of loans

\-made land grants

What were the 2 railroad companies who built the transcontinental railroad, where did they start from, and where did they meet in 1869 to finish it

The central pacific company and the union pacific. the central pacific company started in China and the union pacific started in the east. they both met at promontory, Utah.

What groups were brought into the US to build the transcontinental railroad

Chinese and Irish immigrants.

According to paragraph three in this section, what were some of the effects of the railroads.

tied the nation together, moved products, and spurred industrial development

The growth of railroads also stimulated the growth of _____ __and__ ______

towns and cities

Throughout its history the nations westward expansion had been marked by migrants settling on public land that they did not _____.

own

Who was Benjamin Singleton?

A black business man from Tennessee that helped organize a group of blacks.

What group did Singleton start?

the Exodusters

Where did the exodusters get their name

a story in the bible about Moses leading the exodus of the Jews out of bondage

Where was the exodusters “promised land”

Kansas and Oklahoma

What are the two hardships faced in settling the plains?

* Blizzards, droughts, and windstorms
* loneliness

Explain what the Homestead act of 1862- how much land could a person get and what 3 things they did to do with that land

someone could get 160 acres for anyone willing to live on the land for 5 years, dig a well, and build a road

Opportunities in the west were generally made occupations. but as farming expanded, more _________ arrived, too. Women had a job to do as well.

women