Chapter 14 Section Questions

Answer the following questions on your paper and in complete sentences.

1. How did the government facilitate the expansion of railroads?

Realizing how important railroads were for settling the West and developing the country, the government made huge land grants and loans to the railroad companies.

2. What were the positive and negative aspects of railroad expansion?

The railroads brought the dreams of available land, adventure, and a fresh start within the grasp of many Americans. This was made possible, however, only by the harsh lives of railroad workers. The Central Pacific Railroad employed thousands of Chinese immigrants. The Union Pacific hired Irish immigrants and desperate, out-of-work Civil War veterans to lay track across treacherous terrain while enduring attacks by Native Americans. Accidents and diseases disabled and killed thousands of men each year. In spite of these difficult working conditions, the railroad laborers helped to transform the diverse regions of the country into a united nation.

3. How did the growth of railroad lines promote the growth of cites and trade?

Railroads shipped goods faster with greater capacity and cheaper transport so mass production was encouraged. Demands for steel, lumber, glass and etc grew because people knew then that there was transportation possibly by railroads to get it.

4. For what reasons were farmers angry at railroad companies?

Farmers were angry with railroad companies for many reasons. They were upset by misuse of government land grants, which the railroads sold to other businesses rather than to settlers, as the government intended. The railroads also entered into formal agreements to fix prices, which helped keep farmers in their debt. In addition, they charged different customers different rates, often demanding more for short hauls—for which there was no alternative carrier—than they did for long hauls.

5. How did the Granger laws help farmers?

The Grangers sponsored...