Curated OER
History Matters: "To This We Dissented": The Rock Springs Riot
Read the description of the Rock Springs massacre written by the Chinese workers who lived through the massacre and presented to the Chinese Consul in New York. Included is a report of an investigation of those who died in the massacre....
Curated OER
History Matters:"rock Springs Is Killed":white Reaction to the Rock Springs Riot
Read an article from the Rock Springs Independent railng against the return of the Chinese coal miners the day after the Rock Springs Massacre that resulted in the death of several Chinese laborers.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Central Pacific Rr Photographic History Museum: Credit Mobilier
Read a chapter from a book by Edward Winslow Martin, published in 1873, which lays out what Credit Mobilier was and how being associated with the company and its stock became such a scandal to members of Congress in 1872.
Cengage Learning
Cenage: Credit Mobilier Scandal
A very interesting excerpt from a book published in 1873, recounting the formation of the Credit Moblier Company, explaining who created it, and why the company was at the heart of a huge scandal in the building of the transcontinental...
US National Archives
Our Documents: Pacific Railway Act (1862)
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.
PBS
Pbs the West: The Pacific Railway Act: July 1, 1862
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.
University of California
University of California: Robert B. Honeyman Jr. Collection
This collection at the University of California-Berkeley can now be accessed online through the Online Archive of California. It provides a vast collection of historically significant primary source images of early California and the...
Curated OER
Bureau of Land Management: Steel Rails and Iron Horses
Read about the building of the first transcontinental railroad and other railroads that came after. Find out how the checkerboard land ownership system affected the railroads. Includes lots of detailed lesson activities as well as a poster.
New York Times
New York Times: On This Day: Credit Moibiler Scandal
See a political cartoon of Thomas Nast decrying the Credit Mobilier scandal, and read a concise account of what it was, who was involved, and why it was such a scandal.
Other
Wyo History: The Rock Springs Massacre
Read this very detailed description of the Rock Springs Massacre and the circumstances that led up to it. Find out why Chinese immigrants became the focus of hatred and discrimination.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Carbutt and the Union Pacific's Grand Excursion
Provides information on the Union Pacific Railroad's grand excursion to the 100th Meridian.
Other
California State Railroad Museum: The Transcontinental Railroad
A brief history of the first transcontinental railroad and the vision of Theodore Judah as well as the financing of the "Big Four."
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
The Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
If you are researching the Central Pacific Railroad or the importance of photography in the recording of our social and technological history, this site is for you. You will find plenty of topic photos and good information about the...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: Tunnels of the Pacific Railroad
This site offers an abstract from Van Nostrand's Eclectic Engineering Magazine from 1870 from a paper by John R. Gilliss. A comprehensive look at the tunnels built along the route of the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: Through to the Pacific
Contains a series of letters published in May and June, 1869, in the "New York Tribune" written by Albert D. Richardson, one of the first people to travel on the transcontinental railroad from coast to coast.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr History Museum: Railway & Travel Guides and the Pacific Railroad
Ride the rails in the late 19th century by following these travel guides for railroads across the country. Find copies of the guides showing time tables, maps, and descriptions of the trips.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum: Building of the Iron Road
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...
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr: Completion of the Pacific Railroad
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.
Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
Cprr Photographic History Museum: Utah's Role in the Pacific Railroad
A chapter from John J. Stewart's "The Iron Trail to the Golden Spike" about Utah and the transcontinental railroad.
Other
Union Pacific: Historical Overview
Provides a historical overview of the Union Pacific Railroad under the following sections: building a road, financing, construction, and post-construction.
Country Studies US
Countyr Studies: United States History: The Last Frontier
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...
PBS
Pbs: American Experience: The Iron Road
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.
Other
Psmre: History of the Union Pacific Railroad
This page from the Puget Sound Model Railroad Engineers is part of a larger railroad history site. Includes brief information about the history of the Union Pacific Railroad and other railroads, including a mention of the Pacific...
Other
Colorado Historical Society: Chin Lin Sou, Chinese Railroad Laborer [Pdf]
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.