NAME______SCHOOL______
IndevelopingyouranswertoPartIII,besuretokeepthisgeneraldefinitioninmind:
discussmeans“tomakeobservationsaboutsomethingusingfacts,reasoning,andargument;to
presentinsomedetail”
PartIII
DOCUMENT-BASEDQUESTION
Thisquestionisbasedontheaccompanyingdocuments(1–8).Thequestionisdesignedtotest
yourabilitytoworkwithhistoricaldocuments.Someofthedocumentshavebeeneditedforthe
purposesofthequestion.Asyouanalyzethedocuments,takeintoaccountthesourceofeach
documentandanypointofviewthatmaybepresentedinthedocument.
HistoricalContext:
Extensiverailroadconstructioninthe1800stransformedtheUnitedStatesbylinking
sectionsofthenation.Thistransformationhadbothpositiveandnegativeeffects.
Task:UsinginformationfromthedocumentsandyourknowledgeofUnitedStateshistory,
answerthequestionsthatfolloweachdocumentinPartA.Youranswerstothe
questionswillhelpyouwritethePartBessay,inwhichyouwillbeaskedto:
·DiscussthepositiveandnegativeeffectsofrailroadsintheUnitedStates
duringthe1800s
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[10]
PartA
Short-AnswerQuestions
Directions:Analyzethedocumentsandanswertheshort-answerquestionsthatfolloweachdocumentinthe
spaceprovided.
Document1
ForhalfacenturyafterLewisandClark’sexpedition,theGreatPlainsarousedlittle
interestintheyoungnation.Theplainsweretoodryforagriculture,peoplesaid.
Theywerebarren,foreverawastelandatthecenterofthecontinent.
TheseideasbegantochangeintheyearsleadinguptotheCivilWar.Astherailroads
werebuiltwestward,Americansrealizedhowwrongtheyhadbeenabouttheplains.
SettlersinKansasfoundnodesert,butmillionsofacresoffertilesoil.Cattlemensaw
anopenrangeformillionsofcattle,alandofopportunitylargerthaneventheLone
StarState.Ofcourse,theplainswerealreadyinhabitedbybuffaloandIndians.But
thesemeantlittletothenewcomers.Civilization,theybelieved,demandedthatboth
besweptawayandthelandturnedto“useful”purposes.Howthiscameaboutisone
ofthesaddestchaptersinourhistory....
Source:AlbertMarrin,Cowboys,Indians,andGunfighters,
Atheneum
1Accordingtothispassage,howdidtheuseoftherailroadschangepeople’sopinionsabouttheGreat
Plains?[1]
Score
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[11][OVER]
Document2
Itwaswithashockofabhorrence,therefore,thattheydiscoveredin1871the
presenceofrailroadsurveyorsrunningalinethroughthevalleyoftheYellowstone.
WithSittingBull’sapproval,theyoungwarriorsimmediatelybeganacampaignof
harassment,firstlettingtheintrudersknowthattheywerenotwantedthere,andthen
drivingthemaway.Thereasonthesurveyorshadcomeintothisareawasthatthe
ownersoftheNorthernPacificRailroadhaddecidedtochangeitsroute,abandoning
thelinethroughpreviouslycededlandsandinvadinguncededlandswithoutany
consultationwiththeIndians.In1872,thesurveyorsaccompaniedbyasmallmilitary
forcecamebacktotheYellowstonecountry,andagainSittingBull’sfollowersdrove
themaway....
Source:DeeBrown,HearThatLonesomeWhistleBlow,
HenryHoltandCo.
2Accordingtothisdocument,whywereNativeAmericanIndianshostiletothesurveyors? [1]
Score
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[12]
Document3
Source:DenverPublicLibrary
3Whatdoesthisillustrationshowabouttheeffectoftherailroadsonthebuffaloherds? [1]
Score
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[13][OVER]
Document4
Ifnineteenth-centuryMontereyCountyowedmuchtothecomingoftherailroads,
SantaCruzCountyowedeverything,forrailroadsconstructedduringthe1870stied
togethertheisolatedcommunitiesalongthenorthcoastofMontereyBayand
launchedaneraofunparalleleddevelopment....
Between1875and1880theChinesebuiltthreeseparaterailroads,laidforty-twomiles
oftrack,anddrilled2.6milesoftunnelstostitchSantaCruzCountytogetherand
attachitpermanentlytotheworldbeyondtheSantaCruzMountains.TheChinese
contributednotonlytheirmuscleandsweat,buttheirlives.AtleastfiftyChinese
werekilledinaccidentswhilebuildingthoserailroads.Foreverymileofrailroad,one
Chinesedied....
ChineserailroadworkersontheSantaCruzRailroadworkedsixten-hourdaysaweek
andwerepaidonedollaraday.Twodollarsperweekwasdeductedfromtheirpayfor
food,whileexpensessuchasclothingandrecreationchippedawayattheremaining
fourdollarssothattheyaveragedthreedollarsperweekprofit....
Source:SandyLydon,ChineseGold:TheChineseintheMontereyBayRegion,
CapitolaBookCompany
4aAccordingtothisdocument,howdidrailroaddevelopmenthelpMontereyandSantaCruz
counties?[1]
______
______
Score
bBasedonthisdocument,stateoneworkingconditiontheChineseexperiencedastheybuiltthe
railroads.[1]
______
______
Score
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[14]
Document5
RichFarmingLands!
ForSaleVERYCHEAPbythe
UnionPacificRailroadCompany
TheBestInvestment!NoFluctuations!
AlwaysImprovinginValue.
TheWealthoftheCountryismadebytheadvancein
RealEstate.
NOWISTHETIME!
MILLIONSOFACRES
OfthefinestlandsontheContinent,inEasternNebraska,
nowforsale,ManyofthemneverbeforeinMarket,at
pricesthatDefyCompetition.
FIVEANDTENYEARS’CREDITGIVEN,WITH
INTERESTATSIXPERCENT.
TheLandGrantBondsoftheCompanytakenatparfor
lands.Fullparticularsgiven,newGuidewithnew
Mapsmailedfree.
THEPIONEER
Ahandsomeillustratedpaper,containingtheHomestead
Law,sentfreetoallpartsoftheworld.Address
O.F.DAVIS,
LandCommissionerU.P.R.R.,
Omaha,Neb.
—19th-centurybroadside(adapted)
5Accordingtothesuggestionsinthisadvertisement,howdidrailroadsencouragesettlementofthe
West?[1]
Score
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[15][OVER]
Document6
...Thatyear(1877)therecameaseriesoftumultuousstrikesbyrailroadworkers
inadozencities;theyshookthenationasnolaborconflictinitshistoryhaddone.
Itbeganwithwagecutsonrailroadafterrailroad,intensesituationsofalreadylow
wages($1.75adayforbrakemenworkingtwelvehours),schemingandprofiteeringby
therailroadcompanies,deathsandinjuriesamongtheworkers—lossofhands,feet,
fingers,thecrushingofmenbetweencars.
AttheBaltimoreOhiostationinMartinsburg,WestVirginia,workers
determinedtofightthewagecutwentonstrike,uncoupledtheengines,rantheminto
theroundhouse,andannouncednomoretrainswouldleaveMartinsburguntilthe10
percentcut[inpay]wascanceled.Acrowdofsupportgathered,toomanyforthelocal
policetodisperse.B.O.officialsaskedthegovernorformilitaryprotection,andhe
sentinmilitia.Atraintriedtogetthrough,protectedbythemilitia,andastriker,trying
toderailit,exchangedgunfirewithamilitiamanattemptingtostophim.Thestriker
wasshotinhisthighandhisarm.Hisarmwasamputatedlaterthatday,andninedays
laterhedied.
SixhundredfreighttrainsnowjammedtheyardsatMartinsburg.TheWest
VirginiagovernorappliedtonewlyelectedPresidentRutherfordHayesforfederal
troops,sayingthestatemilitiawasinsufficient.Infact,themilitiawasnottotally
reliable,beingcomposedofmanyrailroadworkers.MuchoftheU.S.Armywastied
upinIndianbattlesintheWest.Congresshadnotappropriatedmoneyforthearmy
yet,butJ.P.Morgan,AugustBelmont,andotherbankersnowofferedtolendmoney
topayarmyofficers(butnoenlistedmen).FederaltroopsarrivedinMartinsburg,and
thefreightcarsbegantomove....
Source:HowardZinn,APeople’sHistoryoftheUnitedStates,
HarperCollinsPublishers
6Accordingtothispassage,whydidtherailroadworkersgoonstrikein1877? [1]
Score
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[16]
Document7
Thepolicywhichhasbeenpursuedhasgivenus[theUnitedStates]themostefficient
railwayserviceandthelowestratesknownintheworld;butitsrecognizedbenefits
havebeenattainedatthecostofthemostunwarranteddiscriminations,anditseffect
hasbeentobuildupthestrongattheexpenseoftheweak,togivethelargedealeran
advantageoverthesmalltrader,tomakecapitalcountformorethanindividualcredit
andenterprise,toconcentratebusinessatgreatcommercialcenters,tonecessitate
combinationsandaggregationsofcapital,tofostermonopoly,toencouragethegrowth
andextendtheinfluenceofcorporatepower,andtothrowthecontrolofthe
commerceofthecountrymoreandmoreintothehandsofthefew....
Source:UnitedStatesSenate,SelectCommitteeonInterstateCommerce,1886
7Accordingtothisdocument,howdidtherailroadownersengageinunfairbusinesspractices? [1]
Score
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[17][OVER]
Document8
Webelievethatthetimehascomewhentherailroadcorporationswilleitherownthe
peopleorthepeoplemustowntherailroads;and,shouldthegovernmententerupon
theworkofowningandmanagingallrailroads,weshouldfavoranamendmenttothe
Constitutionbywhichallpersonsengagedinthegovernmentserviceshallbeplaced
underacivilserviceregulationofthemostrigidcharacter,soastopreventtheincrease
ofthepowerofthenationaladministrationbytheuseofsuchadditionalgovernment
employees....
Transportation,beingameansofexchangeandapublicnecessity,thegovernment
shouldownandoperatetherailroadsintheinterestofthepeople....
Source:PopulistPartyPlatform,1892
8AccordingtothePopulistPartyplatform,whyshouldthegovernmentowntherailroads? [1]
Score
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[18]
PartB
Essay
Directions:Writeawell-organizedessaythatincludesanintroduction,severalparagraphs,andaconclusion.
Useevidencefromatleastfivedocumentsinthebodyoftheessay.Supportyourresponsewith
relevantfacts,examples,anddetails.Includeadditionaloutsideinformation.
HistoricalContext:
Extensiverailroadconstructioninthe1800stransformedtheUnitedStatesbylinking
sectionsofthenation.Thistransformationhadbothpositiveandnegativeeffects.
Task:UsinginformationfromthedocumentsandyourknowledgeofUnitedStateshistory,
writeanessayinwhichyou:
·DiscussthepositiveandnegativeeffectsofrailroadsintheUnitedStates
duringthe1800s
Guidelines:
Inyouressay,besureto:
·AddressallaspectsoftheTaskbyaccuratelyanalyzingandinterpretingatleastfive
documents
·Incorporateinformationfromthedocumentsinthebodyoftheessay
·Incorporaterelevantoutsideinformation
·Supportthethemewithrelevantfacts,examples,anddetails
·Usealogicalandclearplanoforganization
·Introducethethemebyestablishingaframeworkthatisbeyondasimplerestatement
oftheTaskorHistoricalContextandconcludewithasummationofthetheme
U.S.Hist.Gov’t.–June’03[19]