MAP ACTIVITY

MAP 18.1 Railroad Expansion, 1870–1890 Railroad mileage nearly quadrupled between 1870 and 1890, with the greatest growth occurring in the trans-Mississippi West. The western lines were completed in the 1880s. Fueled by speculation and built ahead of demand, the western railroads made fortunes for individual speculators. But they rarely paid for themselves and speeded the demise of Native Americans.

READING THE MAP: Where were most of the railroad lines located in 1870? What was the end point of the only western route? By 1890, how many railroads reached the West Coast?

CONNECTIONS: Why were so many rails laid between 1870 and 1890? How did the railroads affect the nation’s economy?