RailroadsCh 14 Section 2

Beginnings Pacific Railway Act-started

construction of transcontinental railroad.

Union Pacific and Central Pacific worked to build

By 1900 most rail systems in the US were connected

Time zones were made for railroads Land grants were given to railroads

who then sold remaining land to settlers, real estate companies etc.

Robber Barons

Railroad entrepreneurs who made fortunes by cheating investors , taxes etc

Used insider trading Jay Gould, Leland Stanford, Cornelius

Vanderbilt Credit Mobilier Scandal

Members of Congress who received stock in Union Pacific as bribes for Credit Mobilier

UNIONS Early unions were guilds Trade unions came later—made of people

with specific skills Industrial Unions—united all craft workers

and common laborers Blacklist—list that companies would put

on ppl who tried to organize unions Lockout—what employers did to break

unions Would hire scabs to work during strike

periods

Knights of Labor

Knights of Labor

First industrial union

Tried to make labor practices better for workers

Wanted arbitration An impartial third party that helps

workers and management reach and agreement

American Federation of Labor

First Leader was Samuel Gompers Tried to make companies closed shops

Companies could only hire union workers