Terms
A bonanza is a large deposit of precious ore.
Boomtowns were communities that sprang up when a mine opened.
A transcontinental railroad was a railroad that connected the East and West.
Boomtowns were communities that sprang up when a mine opened.
A transcontinental railroad was a railroad that connected the East and West.
Comstock lode
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Pony Express
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Pacific Railway acts
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Leland Stanford
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The dangers of mining
Many miners would work long, hard hours in mines. The deeper they dug, the more dangerous mining became. Mining was probably the most dangerous job in the country. The deeper the went down into the mines, the temperatures rose at high levels. They used unsafe equipment such as wall- less elevator platforms. These could cause them to fall down the mine. Many mines had little oxygen and could't light candles, thus not making them able to see very well. Dust from the mine caused lung problems, which also caused them to not breathe very well. Explosions that weren't expected or cave-ins and floods caused many miners to get killed or severely injured.
UNION AND CENTRAL PACIFIC
Central Pacific [left] and Union Pacific [right]
The Central Pacific started building in Sacramento, California. The Union Pacific started building in Omaha, Nebraska. The railroad companies faced many challenges. The Central Pacific had a hard time trying to cross the Sierra Range in California. For both companies, providing food for the workers was certified. They relied on resources that were in their surroundings.
Effects of railroads
- Transcontinental railroads causes economic and population growth for the West. They encouraged people to move to the West and invest their money into railroads. With the transcontinental railroad, people and goods could travel with ease. If you took a the railroads, it would take only a few days; if you went by cattle, it might take months.