[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the building of the transcontinental railroad. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

In this segment from History Detectives, Anne Zorela, a map collector, believes she's found a map that outlines the routes of the Underground Railroad.

A day-by-day look at Grant's attempt to cut off rail supplies to Lee in Petersburg by capturing the Weldon Railroad. From the National Park Service.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Abridged from the full text located at the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, this passage provides information about the development of the transcontinental railroad. Paired texts, a text...

Provides extensive lesson plans that use photographs, documents, and posters to begin to understand the importance of the Transcontinental Railroad, as well as its influence and the changes it brought to the country.

Review of an online interactive learning game about the Underground Railroad. The game can be found at: https://sites.google.com/site/undergroundrailroadgame/.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Underground Railroad. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

The lesser-known story of the Chinese building of the Southern Pacific Railroad in Arizona.

In this lesson plan, students will consider Edward Hopper's House by the Railroad: From Painting to Poem. Worksheets and other supporting materials can be found under the Resources tab.

Between the Civil War and World War II, railroads were one of the nation's most important businesses and an integral part of people's lives. In this lesson plan, students assume the role of detectives investigating why the rail companies...

Ground level history of the necessary creation of the Underground Railroad. Young students will learn about slavery at an introductory level. A Sandstone Player extension activity is available.

Experience what it would be like be a slave seeking freedom by taking this journey on the Underground Railroad. Uses popups.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Set includes an overview, primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide.

Second graders will view background information on the Underground Railroad in Ohio and will read and discuss primary source letters and sermons by Rev. John Rankin on slavery.

A brief overview of the era of cotton, cattle, and railroads in the late nineteenth century which was a time of huge economic growth for Texas.

From the 1850s, photography and the railroad each offered new experiences to people who had never before traveled great distances. Photographs were used to allay fears of potential travelers.

Learn details of the fascinating history of the early American railroads in the 1800s including their invention, their expansion, significance, and their impact on the transportation system of America.

From an article by B.P. Avery printed in the May, 1869, issue of "Overland Monthly" is this description of the building of the transcontinental railroad including information about the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific...

The goods and services brought to the frontier by the railroad improved the quality of life. Read about the construction and route of the Northern Pacific Railroad in this companion essay to the PBS series, Frontier House.

This PBS site provides a general history of the Underground Railroad, including a focus on notable participants or "conductors." Click on Teacher's Guide for teacher resources.

From The Brown Quaterly (1997) an article describing the role of the Chinese immigrant in building the railroad. Includes images of the Chinese railroad workers. (PDF - scroll down to page 7)

This site offers an abstract from Van Nostrand's Eclectic Engineering Magazine from 1870 from a paper by John R. Gilliss. A comprehensive look at the tunnels built along the route of the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific...

From Chapter 105 of R. M. Devens' 1878 book, "Our First Century" is this description of the building of the transcontinental railroad and the ceremony of driving the final spike.

From a book "The First Transcontinental Railroad" by John Debo Galloway, a civil engineer, comes this comprehensive description of the topography of the route of the Central Pacific Railroad.