DISCUSSIONGUIDEFORMODERN,WEEK8:

TheTranscontinentalRailroad,MovingOutWest
ReviewtheCompanionsectionaboutthePonyExpress.MakesureyourstudentsknowthePonyExpresss twoendpoints:St.Joseph,MissouriintheeastandSacramento,Californiainthewest.Alsopointoutthat thePonyExpressoperatedforjusttwoyears,1860and1861;andthatitclosedassoonastheU.S. completeditsfirsttranscontinentaltelegraph.Remindyourstudentsthat1861wastheyearoftheBattleof FortSumter,thesecessionoftheUpperSouthandtheFirstBattleofBullRun/Manassas. ExplainthearduousroutethatmosttravelersfollowedtoreachCaliforniabeforetheTranscontinental RailroadwascompletedowntheeastcoasttoCentralAmerica;acrossCentralAmericabyhorseand wagonorbytrain;andthenupthewestcoasttoCalifornia. Askyourstudentstoimaginehowverymuchthedevelopmentofrailroadschangedpeoplesdailylives. PointoutthatrailroadswerecriticallyimportantduringtheCivilWardozensofbattleswerefoughtover importantrailstations;andduringhisMarchtotheSea,GeneralShermanruinedmanySouthernrailroads bybendingtheirrailsaroundtreestocreateShermansneckties. RetellthestoryofthebuildingoftheTranscontinentalRailroad.Impressuponyourstudentshowvery difficulttheCentralPacificRailroadsjobwashowitcarved15tunnelsthroughthesolidgraniteofthe SierraNevadasandtheRockies;howitbuildshedstocover37milesofitsroutesothatitcouldwork throughheavywintersnows;andsoon. ReviewtheCompanionsectiononthebuffalo.ExplainhowtribesliketheCheyenneandtheKiowaused buffalo,exploitingeveryresourcethatthebuffaloprovided;thenexplainhowtheAmericansettlersused buffalo,leavingeverythingbutthehidewastedontheplain.Askyourstudentstoimaginewhatitmight havebeenlikefortribesmenwhodependeduponthebuffaloforsurvivaltowatchwastefulAmerican settlerseliminatethebuffalofromtheplainsinjust20yearstime. ExplaintheAmericansettlersreasonsforriddingtheplainsofbuffaloherdsbecausethebuffalo supportedthetribes,whomthesettlerswantedtoremove;becausethebuffalointerferedwithtrains;and becausethebuffaloategrassthatcattlemenwantedfortheircattle.Askyourstudents:Mightithavebeen possibletopreservesomebuffaloherds?Orwasthebuffalosremovalfromtheplainsasinevitableasthe removalofthetribes? PointoutthatGoWest,youngmanwasaphrasecoinedbyHoraceGreeley,anewspapermanfromthe NewYorkTribune.ExplainsomeofthemotivationsthatdrovetheAmericansettlerswestespeciallythe HomesteadAct,whichgavepoorAmericanswhowerewillingtomovewestopportunitiestoownland. ReviewtheHomesteadActstermsanysettlerwhocouldpaya$10feewasentitledto160acresof westernland,solongasheorshelivedonthatlandforfiveyearsandimproveditwithahouseorabarn. DescribethescenebeforethebeginningofanOklahomaLandRun50,000ormorepeoplewaitingatthe Oklahomaborder,mountedandreadyforthestartersgunthatwouldsendthemracingintounsettled territorytostaketheirclaims.Askyourstudentstoimaginewhatitwouldbeliketobeoneofthosepeople waitingonhorsebackforthestartersgun. MakesureyourstudentsknowwhotheSoonersweresettlerswhocheatedonthelandrunsbyarriving soonerthananyoneelse.ExplainthatsomeSoonerswereU.S.marshalswhotooktheirjobsbecausethese jobsallowedthemtospyoutallofOklahomasbestlandbeforethelandrunsbegan,interritorythatwas

closedtoeveryoneelse.DiscusstheSoonersopportunismanddubiousmorality. DescribealongcattledrivealongtheChisholmTrailfromTexastoAbilene,Kansas.Explainthatthesecattle driveswereonlypossiblebecausenooneownedthelandalongtheway;therewerenofences,sothecattle werefreetograzewherevertheycouldfindgrass.Askyourstudentstolistthetypesofcowboyswhowent alongoncattledrivestrailbosses,cooks,droversandwranglersanddescribeeachtype. MakesureyourstudentsknowthattheeraoflongcattledrivesintheAmericanWestlastedonlyabout30 years,fromthe1850sthroughthe1880sbecausebytheendofthattime,therailroadshadarrivedin Texas,andranchershadbeguntotakeovertheopenrange. MakesureyourstudentsknowwhattheFenceCuttingWarwasashortconflictbetweenopenrange cattlemenandsettledranchersthattookplaceattheendofthecattledriveera,in18831884.Explainthat whensettledranchersbegantofenceofftheopenrange,openrangecattlemenfoughtbackbycutting fences;butthatasthesettlersfencedoffmoreandmoreland,longcattledrivesbecameimpossible.Ask yourstudentstoimaginetheopenrangecattlemensangeratseeingtheirwayoflifedisappear.Compare theirangertotheangerofthetribesmenwhohadwatchedtheirbuffalodisappearjustafewyearsbefore. ExplainwhytheearthsrotationmadeitnecessarytodividethewideningUnitedStatesintotimezones becausewhenitwashighnooninNewYork,itwasonly9AMinSacramento.Explainthatbeforetheeraof railroadsandtelegraphs,thedifferenceintimeswasntaproblem;butthatasrailroadtravelgrewcommon, itbecametooconfusingtokeeptrackofeachtownslocaltime.Makesureyourstudentsknowthatthere arefourtimezonesinthecontinentalUnitedStates:Eastern,Central,MountainandPacific. ReviewsomeofThomasEdisonsinventionsandaccomplishments,includingthephonographandtheEdison bulb. AskyourstudentstoreviewtheseThomasEdisonquotesandexplainwhattheysayaboutEdisons characteranddrive:

Ineverdidanythingbyaccident,nordidanyofmyinventionscomebyaccident;theycamebywork. Ihavenotfailed.I'vejustfound10,000waysthatwon'twork. Geniusisonepercentinspirationandninetyninepercentperspiration. Makesureyourstudentsunderstandwhatareaperwasamachineforcuttingandgatheringwheat.Also makesureyourstudentsunderstandwhatathreshingmachinewasadeviceforseparatingtheediblepart ofwheat,thekernel,frominediblestrawandchaff.Explainthatbeforethethreshingmachinearrived, workersthreshedwheatbyhandbybeatingitwithflailsonathreshingfloor.Explainthatinmoderntimes, largemachinescalledcombinesreapandthreshwheatatthesametime.Discusshowinventionslike reapersandthreshingmachineschangedfarminghowtheyallowedfarmerstocultivatemorelandand raisemorefoodwithouthiringmoreworkers. ReviewJamesGarfieldslifeandpresidency.ExplainthatGarfieldwasassassinatedbyCharlesGuiteau,an attorneywhohadhelpedGarfieldwinelection,andwhowasdisappointedwhenGarfielddidntrewardhim forhishelpbyappointinghimasaU.S.ambassador. ReviewChesterArthurslifeandpresidency.ExplainthatthePendletonCivilServiceReformAct,which Arthursigned,wasdesignedtopreventgratefulelectionwinnersfromhandingoutgoodgovernmentjobsto peoplewhoseonlyqualificationwasthattheyhadhelpedtheircandidateswinelections.Explainthatthis actwaspartlyaresponsetoGarfieldsassassination.