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=//__** Matt's Page **__//= =__ R//**ailroad History**// __= Rail Road station in the 1800s = = =

Chicago in the 1800s

Railroads were built in Chicago they had wooden rails, covered in strips of iron. Steam engines were said to endanger passengers because of sparks that shot out from under the train, the sparks caused fires, which burnt buildings and sometimes people. People thought horses that pulled carts on railroads were much safer. George Stephenson created The first steam engine in England and was powered by coal. The first steam engines that were used in the United States were purchased from the Stephenson Works company in England. Americians who went to visit England to see the new steam engines were impressed that railroads dropped the price of shipping by carriage by 60 to 70%.

Rails laid by hand-cranks All day we had to work to meet dead lines Immigrants were hired, along with low-experience workers Low wages because of low experience Race was not an issue on the rail road Over five thousand workers were needed on the rail roads All kinds of people worked on the rail roads Days were long and hard Warm weather made us dehydrated Over worked people became injuried Rails were built also for horse drawn carriages Kind people put investments in the railroad Economy boosts gave people more money, from jobs like working on the railroad Rocket was the name of the first steam engine Steam engines sometimes caused fires, due to sparks