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Golden Spike National Historic Site: Worksheet

1- What United States President signed the Railroad Act of 1862; that made the building of the Transcontinental possible?

2- What two railroad companies were involved in the building of the Transcontinental Railroad?

3- Name two ethnic groups that worked on the Transcontinental Railroad?

4- What types of obstacles did railroad workers have to face?

5- What record did the Central Pacific Railroad workers set in laying track in one day?

6- On what month, day, and year was the Transcontinental Railroad completed?

7- What are the names of the two locomotives that were facing each other at the "Last Spike" ceremony?

8- What type of fuel source did each of the two locomotives in question 7 use?

9- What type of material was the "Last Spike" made of?

10- Name at least two important people that were present at the "Last Spike" ceremony?

11- What word did the telegrapher spell out to tell the country that the Transcontinental Railroad was completed?

12- What was the significance of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad?

13- How was Utah changed by the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad?

14- How were the Native Americans effected by the Transcontinental Railroad?

15- Name some of the birds and plants you see while at Promontory?

16- What women were known to have worked on the grading of the Transcontinental Railroad?

17- What tribe of Native Americans were used to help keep security on the Union Pacific Railroad?

18- What ethnic group was hung in baskets over cliffs to build a road bed?

19- How was the Buffalo effected by the Transcontinental Railroad?