Transcontinental Railroad rose1

What were some of the risks associated with rail travel before the Civil War?

• Frequent train transfers and uncomfortable seating

• Unreliable braking systems and the risk of explosions

• Lack of sleeper cars and dining cars

• All of the above

Who invented the air brake, which made trains stop more reliably?

• George Westinghouse

• Henry Bessemer

• Thomas Edison

• Alexander Graham Bell

What was the purpose of building a Transcontinental Railroad?

• To connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by rail

• To increase the size of the United States

• To open new markets for eastern manufacturers

• All of these answers

Which two companies were awarded the contract to build the Transcontinental Railroad?

• Union Pacific and Central Pacific

• Bessemer and Pullman

• Westinghouse and Edison

• Sacramento and Omaha

Where did the Union Pacific workers start building the Transcontinental Railroad?

• Omaha, Nebraska

• Sacramento, California

• New York City, New York

• Chicago, Illinois

Which group of immigrants assisted the Central Pacific in building the Transcontinental Railroad?

• Irish immigrants

• Chinese immigrants

• two of the answers are correct

• German immigrants

What were some of the dangers faced by workers building the Transcontinental Railroad?

• Disease and searing summer heat

• Freezing temperatures in the mountains

• Native American raids

• All of the answers are correct

What was the ideal of Manifest Destiny?

• The belief in the expansion of the United States from coast to coast

• The belief in the importance of rail travel

• The belief in the invention of the steam engine

• The belief in the Bessemer process

Which of the following is NOT a consequence of the transcontinental railroad?

• The north won the Civil War

• Greater ease of settlements in the West

• New buyer markets for goods manufactured on the east coast

• providing relief for overcrowded cities on the eastern seaboard

Who is the target audience for this quiz?

• Grade 9 students

• Railroad workers

• Historians

• Engineers