Iron Rails Iron Men And The Race To Link The Nation The Story Of The Transcontinental Railroad

Experience the race of rails to link the country—and meet the men behind this incredible feat—in a riveting story about the building of the transcontinental railroad, brought to life with archival photos. In the 1850s, gold fever swept the West, but people had to walk, sail, or ride horses for months on end to seek their fortune. The question of faster, safer transportation was posed by national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? It seemed impossible. Eventually, two railroad companies, the Central Pacific, which laid the tracks eastward, and the Union Pacific, which moved west, began the job. In one great race between iron men with iron wills, tens of thousands of workers blasted the longest tunnels that had ever been constructed, built the highest bridges that had ever been created, and finally linked the nation by two bands of steel, changing America forever.

Experience the race of rails to link the country—and meet the men behind this incredible feat—in a riveting story about the building of the transcontinental railroad, brought to life with archival photos. In the 1850s, gold fever swept the West, but people had to walk, sail, or ride horses for months on end to seek their fortune. The question of faster, safer transportation was posed by national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? It seemed impossible. Eventually, two railroad companies, the Central Pacific, which laid the tracks eastward, and the Union Pacific, which moved west, began the job. In one great race between iron men with iron wills, tens of thousands of workers blasted the longest tunnels that had ever been constructed, built the highest bridges that had ever been created, and finally linked the nation by two bands of steel, changing America forever.

"A railroad across the United States was once thought to be nearly impossible. The vast expanse from the Pacific to the Atlantic Oceans had so many obstacles, including towering mountain ranges and broad rivers. However, the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act tasked two railroad companies, the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific, with building a transcontinental railroad to link the coasts. How they managed to meet finally in 1869 is the important account detailed in this well-researched volume. Readers will learn about key characters, such as engineer Theodore Judah and investor Leland Stanford, and the innovations and technologies that made their extraordinary feat a reality."

In the 21st century, it’s easy to get from New York to California — take a road trip, board a plane, or hop on a train; you’ll be there in no time. The continental United States is separated by mere hours. But back in the 19th century, a journey from New York to California required voyaging around the entire continent by sea in disease- and vermin-infested ships or trekking across great stretches of unknown wilderness by covered wagon, a perilous journey that could take up to a year. But the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 changed everything. Travel was no longer relegated to the very rich or the very courageous. The average American could now make the coast-to-coast expedition in a matter of days for less than $150. It may seem like a railroad that spanned the massive continent was an obvious solution, but it wasn’t as simple as just laying some tracks. Such a feat was a high-risk business venture that most couldn’t envision ever being completed. The transcontinental railway was possible because of dreamers like Asa Whitney and Theodore Judah, the cutthroat businessmen who invested monetarily, and the millions of laborers who invested their own blood, sweat, and tears. into an unimaginably immense and momentous display of human ingenuity. Events That Changed the Course of History: The Story of the Transcontinental Railway 150 Years Later follows the transcontinental railway’s history, from the creation of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific companies (and the backroom dealing that made them possible) to the Credit Mobilier scandal and strikes on the front lines that threatened to upend the entire project. The transcontinental railway changed the course of history, setting us on a path to expansion that opened the door to the West like never before. Take a journey and learn more about the unimaginably immense and momentous display of human ingenuity that forever changed American life.

This is a biography of Earthopolis, the only Urban Planet we know of. It is a history of how cities gave humans immense power over Earth, for good and for ill. Carl Nightingale takes readers on a sweeping six-continent, six-millennia tour of the world's cities, culminating in the last 250 years, when we vastly accelerated our planetary realms of action, habitat, and impact, courting dangerous new consequences and opening prospects for new hope. In Earthopolis we peek into our cities' homes, neighborhoods, streets, shops, eating houses, squares, marketplaces, religious sites, schools, universities, offices, monuments, docklands, and airports to discover connections between small spaces and the largest things we have built. The book exposes the Urban Planet's deep inequalities of power, wealth, access to knowledge, class, race, gender, sexuality, religion and nation. It asks us to draw on the most just and democratic moments of Earthopolis's past to rescue its future.

Covering more than 500 titles, both classics and newer publications, this book describes what titles are about and why teens would want to read them. Nonfiction has been the workhorse of many young adult library collections—filling information and curricular needs—and it is also the preferred genre for many teen readers. But not all nonfiction is created equal. This guide identifies some of the best, most engaging, and authoritative nonfiction reads for teens and organizes them according to popular reading interests. With genres ranging from adventure and sports to memoirs, how-to guides and social justice, there is something for every reader here. Similar fiction titles are noted to help you make connections for readers, and "best bets" for each chapter are noted. Notations in annotations indicate award-winning titles, graphic nonfiction, and reading level. Keywords that appear in the annotations and in detailed indexes enhance access. Librarians who work with and purchase materials for teens, including YA librarians at public libraries, acquisitions and book/materials selectors at public libraries, and middle and high school librarians will find this book invaluable.

More than a history of Western movies, The American West on Film intertwines film history, the history of the American West, and American social history into one unique volume. The American West on Film chronicles 12 Hollywood motion pictures that are set in the post–Civil War American West, including The Ox-Bow Incident, Red River, High Noon, The Searchers, The Magnificent Seven, Little Big Man, and Tombstone. Each film overview summarizes the movie's plot, details how the film came to be made, the critical and box-office reactions upon its release, and the history of the time period or actual event. This is followed by a comparison and contrast of the filmmakers' version of history with the facts, as well as an analysis of the film's significance, then and now. Relying on contemporary accounts and historical analysis as well as perspectives from filmmakers, historians, and critics, the author describes what it took to get each movie made and how close to the historical truth the movie actually got. Readers will come away with a better understanding of how movies often reflect the time in which they were made, and how Westerns can offer provocative social commentary hidden beneath old-fashioned "shoot-em-ups."

A "masterly" account of the origins of the transcontinental railroad (Douglas Brinkley) by the author of the bestselling The Admirals. After the completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, the rest of the United States was up for grabs, and the race was on. The prize: a better, shorter, less snowy route through the American Southwest, linking Los Angeles to Chicago. In Iron Horses, Borneman recounts the rivalries, contested routes, political posturing, and business dealings that unfolded as an increasing number of lines pushed their way across the country. Borneman brings to life the legendary robber barons behind it all and also captures the herculean efforts required to construct these roads -- the laborers who did the back-breaking work, the brakemen who ran atop moving cars, the tracklayers crushed and killed by runaway trains. From backroom deals in Washington, DC, to armed robberies of trains in the wild deserts, from cattle cars to streamliners and Super Chiefs, all the great incidents and innovations of a mighty American era are made vivid in Iron Horses.

The life and career of Abraham Lincoln.

From 1800 to 1900 the territory of the United States expanded fourfold, and the population skyrocketed from about five million to seventy-five million plus. Two key innovations in technology helped this rapid development take place: steam and electricity. This easy-to-read guide traces the rail system's impact on shipping, travel, and the taming of the western frontier. Also covered are unprecedented advances in communication and other technology, such as new steel processes and improved farming tools. These changes not only ushered forth a new era of American progress but also formed the foundation of the modern world.