Transcontinental Railroad Four-Part Series
C-SPAN3's American History TV
Transcontinental Railroad 150th Anniversary
Four-Part Series
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On May 10, 1869 - 150 years ago - railroad tycoon Leland Stanford hammered in a golden spike to mark the linking of the Central Pacific Railroad from the west and the Union Pacific Railroad from the east at Promontory Summit in Utah Territory. The Transcontinental Railroad was complete. American History TV presents the Transcontinental Railroad 150th anniversary symposium hosted by the Stanford Historical Society.
Our series features:
Sunday, April 28, 1pm ET
Transcontinental Railroad & the "Big Four"
Stanford University professor Richard White tells the story of four key investors in the project - Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker - nicknamed and often satirized as the "Big Four." Mr. White is the author of "Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America."
Sunday, April 28, 1:45pm ET
Chinese, Native Americans, and the Transcontinental Railroad
A Stanford University sociology professor, and the associate director of the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford discuss how Chinese workers and native peoples in the region were affected by the seminal event.
Saturday, May 4, 9:15pm ET
Transcontinental Railroad & Stanford University
Archaeologist and Society president Laura Jones gives an illustrated talk on how railroad profits were used to build Stanford University, and how the railroad changed the community.
Saturday, May 4, 10:45pm ET
Railroads and American Culture in the 19th Century
Stanford University history professor James Campbell presents a talk titled, "The Celestial Railroad Revisited: The Railroad in 19th Century American History and Culture." The Celestial Railroad is an 1843 short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Professor Campbell uses the allegory to explore how the railroad transformed American culture.
For more information about the symposium:
Stanford Historical Society
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