BEFORE THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD: TIME-TRAVEL TO CALIFORNIA.Imagine that you live on the U.S. East Coast in 1851. You want to go to the new state of California. How would you get there? INFORMATION BANK Around Cape Horn Noun 1. Cape Horn - a rocky headland belonging to Chile at the southernmost tip of South America (south of Tierra del Fuego) Chile, Republic of Chile - a republic in southern South America on the western slopes of the Andes on the south Pacific coast : This is long, slow, and expensive. On a good ship, it may be the safest way. It means sailing around the southern tip of South America South America, fourth largest continent (1991 est. pop. 299,150,000), c.6,880,000 sq mi (17,819,000 sq km), the southern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. . Some ship owners promise a 110-day voyage. In 1851, the Flying Cloud The Flying Cloud of 1851 was the most famous of the extreme clippers built by Donald McKay in East Boston, Massachusetts, intended for Enoch Train of Boston, who paid $50,000 for her construction. sets a "speed record" of 98 days from New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of to San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden . Across Panama: This "short cut" is popular with gold-rush adventurers. It involves sailing south to a Carribean port in Panama, then an overland trek across the isthmus isthmus (ĭs`məs), narrow neck of land connecting two larger land areas. Since it commands the only land route between two large areas and is on two seas, an isthmus has great strategical and commercial importance and is a favorable situation (narrow land strip) to a Pacific port to get a ship north to California. The distance across Panama seems short on a map, but it's difficult and dangerous. Many travelers vanish along the way. Overland: This means joining a wagon train wagon train, in U.S. history, a group of covered wagons used to convey people and supplies to the West before the coming of the railroad. The wagon replaced the pack, or horse, train in land commerce as soon as proper roads had been built. , usually in Kansas or Missouri, to travel along the California or Oregon Trail Oregon Trail, overland emigrant route in the United States from the Missouri River to the Columbia River country (all of which was then called Oregon). The pioneers by wagon train did not, however, follow any single narrow route. . Trails are not marked and are general directions based on the knowledge or guesswork of a leader. You will need a wagon, horses or mules, and supplies. The journey can take months. Along the way people die from accidents, hunger, raids by Indians or outlaws, and--most of all--disease. About one out of every 15 pioneers die along the way. Entire wagon trains have been lost. Wait for the Railroad: In 1851, a railroad crossing the U.S. seems like a dream. The dream comes true on May 10, 1869 with the completion of the transcontinental rail-road. The train takes only four days from Omaha, Nebraska, to San Francisco. It usually takes another six days to reach Omaha from the East Coast. That's 10 days compared to months on other routes. QUESTIONS 1. To reach California in 1851, why not sail trough the Panama Canal? 2. What was the leading cause of death on the overland trails to the West Coast from 1840 to 1869? 3. In 1851, what was the speed record by sea from New York to San Francisco? 4. What 1848 event caused a rush of adventurers to California? 5. When was the transcontinental railroad completed? 6. After completion of the transcontinental railroad, how long might the journey to California take from Omaha, Nebraska? 7. To join a wagon train, what basic items would you need? 8. What were the estimated chances of dying along the way on the overland route to California or Oregon? 9. Why did many gold rush adventures choose the across-Panama route in 1849? 10. Which way would you choose to go from the U.S. east coast to the west coast in 1851? Explain your choice. ANSWERS 1. It wasn't built yet. 2. Disease 3. 98 days 4. Discovery of gold. 5. May 10, 1869. 6. Four days 7. Wagon, horse or mule, and food 8. One out of every 15 9. On a map, the isthmus of Panama Noun 1. Isthmus of Panama - the isthmus that connects Central America and South America; was formerly called the Isthmus of Darien; "Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Darien" Isthmus of Darien route seemed short. In fact, it was rugged and dangerous. 10. Answers will vary. |
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