Transcontinental Railroad Biography Poster
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The Transcontinental Railroad
By Liane Hicks
The first Transcontinental Railroad in the United States was a feat of ingenuity and engineering. It opened up the way for new cities, industries, and opportunities for immigrants and settlers. However, it also led to the decimation of Native American nations and the environment as well as a racist backlash against immigrants. Engage students with Storyboard That premade activities!
Storyboard Description
While studying the first transcontinental railroad, it's helpful for students to create biography posters for an influential person or group of people. This example showcases engineer, Theodore Judah.
Storyboard Text
- Theodore Judah
- 1826-1863
- Theodore Dehone Judah was a railroad pioneer who was known for founding the Central Pacific Railroad.Judah was born in Bridgeport, CT in 1826 to Reverend Henry Raymond Judah, an Episcopal minister, and Mary Reece Judah. His family moved to Troy, New York and Judah attended the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to study civil engineering.At 18, Judah became a railroad surveyor and at 21 he married Anna Pierce. In the mid 1800s, railroads were steadily increasing across the country and Judah had a big dream to extend the railroad to stretch from coast to coast. In 1854, Judah declared to his wife, "Anna, I am going to California to be the pioneering railroad engineer of the Pacific coast." Theodore Judah's big dreams and his enthusiasm for the transcontinental railroad earned him the nickname "Crazy Judah".
- Judah's passion led him to build the Sacramento Valley Line by 1856, which was the first railroad west of the Missouri River! Judah was now determined to build a great Pacific railroad. The largest obstacle to this project was the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Nobody had figured a way a railroad could be built through the mountains. Judah surveyed the area and in July 1860, determined that the Donner Pass was the best route. Judah convinced investors Mark Hopkins, Leland Stanford, Charles Crocker, and Collis Huntington (later known as the Big Four) to invest in his vision and went to Washington to lobby the government. President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railroad Act on July 1, 1862 approving construction. Judah famously telegraphed to his investors: "We have drawn the elephant, now let us see if we can harness him up."The Central Pacific Railroad began construction in 1863, but Judah was at odds with "The Big Four" who kept him in the dark about decisions and eventually maneuvered to oust Judah from his own project. As Judah scrambled to raise enough funds to continue to be involved, he set sail for New York and became deathly ill. He died in Anna's arms on November 2, 1863. When the project that he had envisioned was completed on May 10, 1869, it was also his wedding anniversary. Anna said: "It seemed as though the spirit of my brave husband descended upon me and together we were there unseen, unheard of by man."
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- "I am going to California to be the pioneering railroad engineer of the Pacific coast!"
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