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Development of settlement in the West (The Pacific Railroad Act 1862…
Development of settlement in the West
Civil war and post war construction
the rebuilding of the South after the Civil war is called the Reconstruction
it lasted from 1865 to 1877
its purpose was to help the South become a part of the Union again
federal troops ensured laws were followed and that an uprising didn't occur
Laws about black people
in an effort to get around laws passed by Congress, many Southern states began to pass Black Codes.These were laws that prevented black people from voting, going to school, owning land and getting jobs.
To help with the Reconstruction and protect the rights of all people, 3 amendments were added to the US Constitution
13th Amendment
outlawed slavery
14th Amendment
said that black people were citizens of US and that all people were protected equally by the law
15th Amendment
gave all people the right to vote regardless of race
However many states ignored these amendments as there wasn't enough money to ensure the laws were properly enforced
The Homestead Act 1862
gave 160 acres free to people who farmed the land for 5 years
this appealed to many ex-soldiers and slaves who wanted to start a new life after the civil war
This was also part of Manifest Destiny and the government encouraging settlers to take over more land
The Pacific Railroad Act 1862
signed by President Abraham Lincoln
the act said that there were 2 main railroad lines
The Central Pacific Railroad would come from Sacramento in California and the Union Pacific Railroad would come from Omaha in Nebraska. The 2 railroads would meet somewhere in the middle
the act gave railroad companies land where they could build the railroad and land each side of the railroad to be sold to settlers (which helped pay for the railroad). It also paid them for each mile that they built
They were paid more money for miles of track built in the mountains than flat plains
The transcontinental railroad
completed in 1869 at Promontory summit
railroads helped to spread law and order as judges and sheriffs could travel to different areas quickly
the railroads helped to destroy the Plains Indians' way of life as they brought more settlers and equipment onto the plains
(e.g.homesteaders, cattlemen and cowboys)
they employed buffalo hunters (e.g. Buffalo Bill and took men on the railroad to shoot buffalo)