Transcontinental Railroad History

Transcontinental Railroad History

Assessment

Interactive Video

History, Geography, Social Studies

7th - 12th Grade

Medium

Created by

Olivia Brooks

Used 30+ times

FREE Resource

In the 1860s, America was divided by the Civil War and faced the challenge of connecting the coasts. The transcontinental railroad was envisioned as a solution, spearheaded by Theodore Judah and the Central Pacific Railroad. Despite the daunting task, the railroad was completed, revolutionizing travel and trade across the nation. It opened the western frontier, facilitated industrialization, and became a critical component of America's infrastructure.

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10 questions

Show all answers

1.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What was the primary reason for the need of a transcontinental railroad in the 1860s?

To connect the East Coast to Europe

To connect the East Coast to South America

To improve trade with Canada

To facilitate travel to California

2.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What was the main challenge faced by settlers traveling westward in the mid-19th century?

High travel costs

Hostile Native American tribes

Lack of food and water

Harsh environment and long travel time

3.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What event in the late 1840s significantly increased the number of people traveling to California?

The discovery of oil

The completion of the Erie Canal

The Gold Rush

The end of the Civil War

4.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

Who was the visionary behind the idea of the transcontinental railroad?

Theodore Judah

Leland Stanford

Charles Crocker

Thomas Durant

5.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

Which university was founded by one of the key investors in the Central Pacific Railroad?

Harvard University

Stanford University

Yale University

Princeton University

6.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What was the purpose of the Pacific Railroad Act signed by Lincoln?

To create a national bank

To authorize the building of a transcontinental railroad

To end the Civil War

To establish new states

7.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What was the main incentive for the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads to lay as much track as possible?

Tax exemptions

Free labor

Mineral rights and cash payouts

Government contracts

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