Replica of the Salisbury, North Carolina railway station teaches about riding and working on the railroad in the 1920s when railroads were a central part of American life. Railroad lines crisscrossed the country. They carried people,...

Original photos and images highlighting the impact that the Transcontinental Railroad had on the lives and perspectives of Americans and Native Americans.

A brief history of the last century and more of American railroads, from the early locomotives from the mid 1800s to today's fast passenger trains.

A glossary of railroad lingo. Gives a multitude of words and their definitions as related to railraods and trains.

Find out about the use and importance of rail lines to both the Union and Confederate troops in the Civil War and how the generals from each side factored in the use of railroads into their military strategy. (PDF)

Read about regulations that kept the early Texas railroad system safe, and check out an "Inspection report for the Houston & Great Northern, 1871." Also, learn how the Civil War affected the railroad and how it was rebuilt following...

Primary source materials that focus on how the railroads facilitated travel and tourism in America in the mid-1800s. Includes railroad timetables, anecdotal accounts, traveler advice, charts, illustrations, and lots more.

A five-part article on the history of the railroad in North Carolina. Looks at the first rail companies and the start of the North Carolina Railroad, how the Civil War and its aftermath affected rail transportation, the growth of...

A classroom activity enhancing study about slavery in the United States focused on the Underground Railroad. Students will explore the slave and free states and look at routes the Underground Railroad took to help slaves escape to...

Primary source materials that focus on the segregation of African Americans that took place on the railroads in the 1800s. Content includes newspaper articles, anecdotal accounts, letters, legal cases, etc.

Primary source materials that focus on how the railroad companies supported the slavery system through slave labor, slave ownership, and as a transportation system for the slave market in the South. Content includes contracts, company...

Corruptions, malfeasance, bribery and fraud - all these terms can describe the construction process of the American railroad system. Search primary source documents to uncover the shenanigans that took place in the late 19th century....

Discover what the Underground Railroad was, the role it played in our county's history, and why Northern Kentucky was such a key location. In this interactive lesson, students will develop a written response to questions.

Primary source materials that focus on how the westward expansion of the railroads affected the sale of land, migration, immigration, and population characteristics. Includes letters, personal accounts, maps, documents, etc.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.

This exhibition explores the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad and its impact on American westward expansion.

Why were the railroads so important to both the Confederates and Union and how were they targets of raids? How were railroad executives involved in the course of the war? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this...

A compilation of primary source documents addressing building and running the railroad system in the late 19th century.

A learning module that begins with "The Underground Railroad" by USHistory.org, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free...

In this interactive unit learners travel back to 1860 to follow a young slave as he flees a Kentucky plantation for Canada along the Underground Railroad. The interactive slideshow lets students read a short article at each stop. They...

Highlights the opening of the B & O Railroad charter and other related events in American history that took place on today's date.

From a book written by a civil engineer, John Debo Galloway, this article discusses the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad including construction methods, problems, and the eventual meeting of the rails at Promontory Point.

This very complete lesson plan from the New York State Library uses newspaper accounts to give a "you are there" feeling to the discussion of the Railroad Strike of 1877. Included are a history of the strike, student activities,...

In this lesson unit, students examine how Texans altered the environment in order to construct railroads, and the impact of those changes, both positive and negative. They then complete a project where they develop a plan for a railroad...