When the federal government was called in to suppress a railroad workers' strike, dozens were killed and politicians sought a way to show they still supported workers. July 1894, President Grover Cleveland finally signed into law...

Find out about plans for a transcontinental railroad and surveys which plotted out possible routes. Part of a larger site on the history of railroads and maps.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the building of the transcontinental railroad. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

Information about the period in United States history between the Civil War and World War I. The United States was transformed from a rural republic to an urban state.

Fifth graders will understand the Fugitive Slave Act and its significance, especially as it relates to the Underground Railroad.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Underground Railroad. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

Ground level history of the necessary creation of the Underground Railroad. Young students will learn about slavery at an introductory level. A Sandstone Player extension activity is available.

A timeline of African-American history from when the first African slaves arrived in Virginia in 1619 up to the present.

These remarkable feats of design and construction transformed the ways that people travel, communicate and live. For thousands of years, mankind has engineered remarkable structures such as the pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of...

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes the positive economic benefits the construction of the railroads provided to the developing nation as a whole, and the negative impact it...

[Free Registration/Login Required] This site tells the story of Harriet Tubman's life and the development of the Underground Railroad. The author takes us on a journey to sites along the Underground Railroad, beginning at the farm where...

This site has an excellent 24-page children's booklet on the history of the Canadian Pacific Railway.

What made transportation in early Texas so difficult? What were the road conditions like? This article talks about land and water transportation in Texas in the years leading up to and after the Civil War. Also, check out photos and...

Learn details of the fascinating history of the early American railroads in the 1800s including their invention, their expansion, significance, and their impact on the transportation system of America.

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes the consolidation of all the different railroad companies into seven by 1906, and the concern that was developing over this concentration of...

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes the surveys that were done to determine where to route the transcontinental railroad, and where it was finally built. These surveys provide...

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes the other railroad companies that were competing to build a transcontinental line.

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes what the Land Department and the Bureau of Immigration did in order to attract new immigrants to settle along the railroad line. The...

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes the Granger movement, its success in pushing for state regulation of railroad shipping rates, the Granger Cases, and subsequent court cases...

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes the debate over the construction of railroads, the competition between canals and railroads, and the companies that were building rail...

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes what Asa Whitney did to promote the idea of a transcontinental railroad in the North. His efforts provoked the South into campaigning for...

From a lengthy essay on the history of the railroad in the United States. This section describes the events that occurred as the Union Pacific and Central Pacific both reached the endpoint of the railroad at Promontory Point, California....

A brief summary of the history of African American slavery and the Underground Railroad. Activities and books pertaining to slave life, plantations, and the Underground Railroad are suggested.

If you are researching the Central Pacific Railroad or the importance of photography in the recording of our social and technological history, this site is for you. You will find plenty of topic photos and good information about the...