This site examines the history of the Milwaukee Road (Railroad). This site discusses cost, number of trains, routes, expansion through the Midwest.

Building railroads was never easy, but when confronted with hired gunslingers, the task was harder still. Read about how the Santa Fe Railroad secured the land it needed to build its railroad.

A chapter, "Linking the Oceans" from "The Railroad Builders" by John Moody, published in 1919. Included is information about the building of the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad as well as other transcontinental...

Here are some facts about the first railroad in America, which was constructed in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Contains excerpts from Albert D. Richarson's "Beyond the Mississippi" about the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad and his trip on the train.

This site from the Central Pacific Railroad contains an article from the Sacramento Daily Union on the first rail laid on the western end of the transcontinental railroad on October 27, 1863.

As part of a book about the Central Pacific Railroad written in 1898, this article discusses the origin of the idea to construct a transcontinental railroad.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Students will utilize this flipchart while studying African American history in the United States, with a focus on the Underground Railroad.

This one-page summary provides many facts about the history and origin of coal in providing humans with heat and energy.

Read about the conditions in the late 19th century that necessitated the passage of the Interstate Commerce Act, primarily to regulate railroad rates at the time.

Meet Julia Tuttle, recognized as the only female founder of a major USA city - Miami! She recognized the potential of the area and was able to persuade H.Flagler to extend his railway to what is now Miami. The rest is history.

A very interesting excerpt from a book published in 1873, recounting the formation of the Credit Moblier Company, explaining who created it, and why the company was at the heart of a huge scandal in the building of the transcontinental...

An overview of slave revolts and abolitionist efforts during the first half of the nineteenth century, leading up until the Civil War. Read about the Underground Railroad, the colonization movement, and various anti-slavery books.

An overview of the life of Harriet Tubman. This brave African American woman is most recognized for her vital role as a conductor for the Underground Railroad.

By reading this section of a chapter on "Industrial Transformation in the North", students will learn about the development of improved methods of nineteenth-century domestic transportation and identify the ways in which roads, canals,...

Read about the luxurious rail car George Pullman introduced that made transcontinental rail travel so desirable.

Library of Congress presents primary source documents, essays, photos and maps of historical events on May 10th including a ceremony at Promontory Point, Utah for the meeting of the Union Pacific and Central railways and the capture of...

The Underground Railroad was a significant part of American History. It served as a lifeline to hundreds of slaves who risked their lives to escape the horrors of bondage. Through readings of primary sources and listening to music,...

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

This is a brief history that describes the establishment of the Alberta Railway by Alexander Tilloch Galt. It would be a means of moving coal from his companies coal properties to Medicine Hat. Included are maps, photographs and primary...

This brief history relates the construction in 1909 of what was to be an extensive network of lines, of which only two were built. An engineering challenge was faced during the construction due to a deeply incised, old glacial meltwater...

This history of the Canadian National Railways (CNR) describes its formation in 1918 as the Government of Canada merged the assets of the Canadian Northern Railway with those of the Canadian Government Railway and later the Grand Trunk...

Information on railroads is found on this site from Wikipedia encyclopedia. Discusses the history of railways, different parts of the railway, types of trains, and the economic aspects of rail ownership and operation.

A lesson plan from the producers of the 16-episode PBS series "Freedom: A History of US" that examines how new technology and scientific advances of the nineteenth century changed America. Includes ideas for directing students through a...