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| German Advertising poster - Northern Pacific |
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| Train station |
After the civil
war and the years after it, it become more obviously that the United States
needed a better infrastructure. With that background the Government decided to connect
the east and west coast, as first step, via train. In 1862 the two biggest
railroad companies opened their competition and started building a railroad
track through the US. The finishing in 1869 was a very big deal not just for
the companies, getting their awards of million acres of land and a lot of
money, but also for the whole country.
Before the time of track, it was a long journey from one coast to other. Very dangerous and very expensive: it could cost more than 1000$ to travel per ship. With the railroad the price dropped to not more than 150 for a week of traveling. The national parks in the west of the US became more important and attractive. The Yellowstone national park had in 1905 since its opening 13.000 Visitors. Only in the summer of 1915, with some help of advertisement from the railroad companies itself Yellowstone had more than 52.000 Visitors.
The Wild West had become less wild after you were able to reach nearly every region with a train. Settlers from the east coast and from Europe came in millions and settled all over the Great Plains. City’s spread all over the country where a railroad was build. And the railroads where happy about that because most of the land were the new settlers wanted to live was owned by the railroad companies and if not the railroad was the only way for the farmers to sell their products to the big cities.
In the same time when the Land departments and Bureaus of immigration were selling land and tried to attract settlers to come to the US the railroad companies weren´t inactive: In 1872 the first European agency opened it gates. And it shouldn’t be the last one. In nearly every big city in Europe was at least on agency settled to sell land and get producers for God´s which can transported by the railroad. “The new country was so healthy that every known disease was cured there.” Is just one Quote how the agents – successfully – tried to get people settling near a railroad.
It must have been very attractive for an European farmer to settle in the Great Plains. In your own country the farming sector is still the biggest one but landowners own the most of the land. You get very less money for your products. The industrialization is moving very fast and machines beginning to do your job. Wars are going on in Europe all the time and if they can´t fight on their country they fight in the old colonies. The population is growing very fast and there are more people and less work, less money.
The circumstances getting worse and worse and someday a guy comes to you and offers you to take care about your travel to the USA. Tells you story´s about successful immigrants. Maybe about his own time there. Tells you that the government gives you 160 acre to live with and you just have to live there for five years and you own that land.
Before the time of track, it was a long journey from one coast to other. Very dangerous and very expensive: it could cost more than 1000$ to travel per ship. With the railroad the price dropped to not more than 150 for a week of traveling. The national parks in the west of the US became more important and attractive. The Yellowstone national park had in 1905 since its opening 13.000 Visitors. Only in the summer of 1915, with some help of advertisement from the railroad companies itself Yellowstone had more than 52.000 Visitors.
The Wild West had become less wild after you were able to reach nearly every region with a train. Settlers from the east coast and from Europe came in millions and settled all over the Great Plains. City’s spread all over the country where a railroad was build. And the railroads where happy about that because most of the land were the new settlers wanted to live was owned by the railroad companies and if not the railroad was the only way for the farmers to sell their products to the big cities.
In the same time when the Land departments and Bureaus of immigration were selling land and tried to attract settlers to come to the US the railroad companies weren´t inactive: In 1872 the first European agency opened it gates. And it shouldn’t be the last one. In nearly every big city in Europe was at least on agency settled to sell land and get producers for God´s which can transported by the railroad. “The new country was so healthy that every known disease was cured there.” Is just one Quote how the agents – successfully – tried to get people settling near a railroad.
It must have been very attractive for an European farmer to settle in the Great Plains. In your own country the farming sector is still the biggest one but landowners own the most of the land. You get very less money for your products. The industrialization is moving very fast and machines beginning to do your job. Wars are going on in Europe all the time and if they can´t fight on their country they fight in the old colonies. The population is growing very fast and there are more people and less work, less money.
The circumstances getting worse and worse and someday a guy comes to you and offers you to take care about your travel to the USA. Tells you story´s about successful immigrants. Maybe about his own time there. Tells you that the government gives you 160 acre to live with and you just have to live there for five years and you own that land.
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| A Railroad train |
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| First Transkontinental Railroad comletion |
The result
of the advertisement in Europe lead by the railroad companies was that the population,
in the middle of the United States, grows rapidly, because just in one decade between
1880 and 1890 1.7 million Germans immigrated to the US and a lot of them
settled in the Great Plains. City’s spread out all over the place. And even
more railroad tracks were build. And the agricultural production doubled
between 1870 and 1900.
Industrial
situation in Europe in 1870th and reasons from emigration to the US
Land
departments and Bureau of Immigration ways of selling land (first two
paragraphs)
Quotes
about advertising the great plains
Report of
the northern pacific railroad company about development in Europe with numbers
and places about agencies in Europe
Report of
the northern pacific railroad company about development in Europe
Dates and
information about work in Europe
How the railroad
helped Yellowstone survive – visitors numbers of Yellowstone
Information
about the railroad competition – money gained, time etc. and the time after it (immigration)
Facts about
the competition and the general traveling with the train (cost) awards for the
railroad companies for building the track
Great job Hannes!! I really liked it
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