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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr History Museum: A History of the Chinese in California: A Syllabus

For Students 9th - 10th
From a 1969 publication by the Chinese Historical Society of America comes this extensive look at the Chinese role in the building of the Central Pacific Railroad from California east to Utah.
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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Building of the Iron Road

For Students 9th - 10th
From an article by B.P. Avery printed in the May, 1869, issue of "Overland Monthly" is this description of the building of the transcontinental railroad including information about the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific...
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Article
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr: Completion of the Pacific Railroad

For Students 9th - 10th
From Chapter 105 of R. M. Devens' 1878 book, "Our First Century" is this description of the building of the transcontinental railroad and the ceremony of driving the final spike.
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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr Photographic History Museum: Utah's Role in the Pacific Railroad

For Students 9th - 10th
A chapter from John J. Stewart's "The Iron Trail to the Golden Spike" about Utah and the transcontinental railroad.
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Handout
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr Photographic History Museum: Locating the Central Pacific Railroad

For Students 9th - 10th
From a book "The First Transcontinental Railroad" by John Debo Galloway, a civil engineer, comes this comprehensive description of the topography of the route of the Central Pacific Railroad.
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Handout
Country Studies US

Countyr Studies: United States History: The Last Frontier

For Students 9th - 10th
This site describes the settlement of the West happened quickly with the passage of the Homestead Act of 1862 and the push for the Transcontinental Railroad. With the explosion of the mining and ranching industries, the West was all but...
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Website
PBS

Pbs: American Experience: The Iron Road

For Students 9th - 10th
A good summary of the history of the building of first transcontinental railroad and images of the transcontinental railroad. From the introduction to the PBS video, The Iron Road.
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Handout
Other

Colorado Historical Society: Chin Lin Sou, Chinese Railroad Laborer [Pdf]

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Find out about a Chinese immigrant who, after laboring on the Central Pacific Railroad, became a wealthy miner in Colorado. From the Colorado Historical Society.
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Graphic
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr: Car Builder's Dictionary: Pullman Palace Sleeping Car

For Students 9th - 10th
Shows detailed floor plans of Pullman Palace Sleeping Car and Drawing Room/Parlor car.
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Article
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr History Museum: The First Rail Laid

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
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Primary
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Beyond the Mississippi

For Students 9th - 10th
Contains excerpts from Albert D. Richarson's "Beyond the Mississippi" about the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad and his trip on the train.
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eBook
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Linking the Oceans

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
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Article
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Magnificent Celebrations in Calfornia

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the completion of the transcontinental railroad and the subsequent celebrations.
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Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Golden Spike National Historic Site

For Students 9th - 10th
Homepage of the Golden Spike National Historic Site. Provides general information about the completion of the transcontinental railroad and contains links to other information.
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Handout
Museum of the City of San Francisco

Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco: Driving the Last Spike

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides a short description of the development of the transcontinental railroad and the "Big Four" behind the construction. From the San Francisco News Letter of September 1925.
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Graphic
Curated OER

The Locomotive Governor Stanford

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides a short description of the development of the transcontinental railroad and the "Big Four" behind the construction. From the San Francisco News Letter of September 1925.
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Graphic
Curated OER

First Train

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief discussion of the concept of a transcontinental railroad with hyperlinks to other articles on this large website.
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Graphic
Curated OER

China Labour, Cprr Payroll, March, 1865

For Students 9th - 10th
An article from the Utah Quarterly, Vol. 37, No. 1, by George Kraus, recounts the decision to use Chinese laborers in building the Central Pacific Railroad. Many original documents.
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Graphic
Curated OER

1852 California Census, Page 194

For Students 9th - 10th
An article from the Utah Quarterly, Vol. 37, No. 1, by George Kraus, recounts the decision to use Chinese laborers in building the Central Pacific Railroad. Many original documents.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Advertisement in the Pacific Railroad Gazetteer, 1870.

For Students 9th - 10th
An article from the Utah Quarterly, Vol. 37, No. 1, by George Kraus, recounts the decision to use Chinese laborers in building the Central Pacific Railroad. Many original documents.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Hart 349a

For Students 9th - 10th
From a book "The First Transcontinental Railroad" by John Debo Galloway, a civil engineer, comes this comprehensive description of the topography of the route of the Central Pacific Railroad.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Centennial Chinese Rr Worker Commemorative Plaque

For Students 9th - 10th
An article from the Utah Quarterly, Vol. 37, No. 1, by George Kraus, recounts the decision to use Chinese laborers in building the Central Pacific Railroad. Many original documents.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Ogden May 10th, 1919. Courtesy National Park Service.

For Students 9th - 10th
An article from the Utah Quarterly, Vol. 37, No. 1, by George Kraus, recounts the decision to use Chinese laborers in building the Central Pacific Railroad. Many original documents.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Cprr Hospital

For Students 9th - 10th
An extraordinarily rich collection of photos, stereographs, engravings, maps, and documents. Many 19th century accounts of building and traveling on the railroad, plus travel guides and government documents.