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Transcontinental Railroad

Transcontinental Railroad

Discussion & Essay Questions

Available to teachers only as part of the Teaching Transcontinental RailroadTeacher Pass

Teaching Transcontinental Railroad Teacher Pass includes:

  • Assignments & Activities
  • Reading Quizzes
  • Current Events & Pop Culture articles
  • Discussion & Essay Questions
  • Challenges & Opportunities
  • Related Readings in Literature & History

Sample of Discussion & Essay Questions


    Big Picture

    1. In what sense did the transcontinental railroad link "not only people and places but also moments in history"?
    2. Was this the watershed development of the century?
      • What other events or developments of the time had a greater impact than the railroad? Explain your answer.
    3. Now consider the completion of the railroad from a modern perspective. What subsequent events or developments (if any) in the 20th and 21st centuries have matched the impact of the railroad?