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Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents: Pacific Railway Act (1862)

For Students 9th - 10th
Contains images of the original document and a transcript of the complete text of the Pacific Railway Act of 1862 in an easy to read format. Also contains a brief overview on the background behind this act.
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Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents: A National Initiative on American History, Civics, and Service

For Students 9th - 10th
Our Documents is home to one hundred milestone documents that influenced that course of American history and American democracy. Includes full-page scans of each document, transcriptions, background information on their significance, and...
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Website
PBS

Pbs: New Perspectives on the West

For Students 9th - 10th
This in-depth resource presents a history of the American West from pre-Columbian times until World War I with profiles, documents, and images. It encourages visitors to link these into patterns of historical meaning for themselves....
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Primary
PBS

Pbs the West: The Pacific Railway Act: July 1, 1862

For Students 9th - 10th
The critically acclaimed PBS series, "The West," provides the text of the actual Pacific Railway Act, designed to aid in the construction of a Railroad and Telegraph Line from the Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean.
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Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: Rise of Industrial America: Railroads in the Late 19th Century

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A compilation of primary source documents addressing building and running the railroad system in the late 19th century.
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Website
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

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.
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Website
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

Cprr History Museum: Eastward to Promontory

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Central Pacific Railroad provides an extensive and comprehensive article about surveying the route for the railroad, the problems with construction, and the men behind the idea of the railroad. Hyperlinks to additional...
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eBook
Curated OER

National Park Service: Golden Spike National Park: The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862

For Students 6th - 8th
Short description of the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 from the National Park Service.