Construction of the railroads

The government payed $150,000 for the transcontinental railroad. Here's why:

• Railroads could help keep law and order
• Trade links could be made to ports
• Help fulfil manifest destiny

Why was it a risks and problems?

• They needed risked making a profit
• Railroads crossed difficult land
• Labourers lived and worked in bad conditions
• There weren't enough labourers
• Indians would attack and try to stop the railroads being built

The early impact:

• There were six huge transcontinental lines
  
• Branches went to isolated communites

What were the benefits?

• Lots of jobs were created
• There was a big growth in industires for wood, iron and steel
• Law enforcers could travel easily 
• Technolgy for farming could be transported
• Furniture and fabrics ect. could be brought West
• Distnace markets could be traded with
• Cattle ranching could grow
• Relatives could contact far away family
• New settlers could travel West

Plains Indians:

• Freedom to roam was gone
  
• Buffalo were hunted and killed
• Ranches and homesteaders used more land
• Indians turned hostile towards white Americans