Transcontinental Railroad, Pony Express, Golden Spike

Why was the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad and the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory Summit significant for the future of the Pony Express and communication across the United States? This lesson and activity examines the way the need to send goods, information, and people between the East and the West increased. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge.

Included in this resource:

Do Now - The Far West: Shooting Buffalo on the line of the Kansas-Pacific Railroad primary source analysis and questions
Transcontinental Railroad Document Activity
Document #1: Pony Express
Document #2: Transcontinental Railroad
Document #3: Golden Spike
Document #4: Leland Stanford
Document #5: Routes West, 1870
Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the Pony Express, the establishment of the Transcontinental Railroad, and the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory Summit collectively impact the development and communication across the United States in the late 19th century?
Answer key for teachers (suggested)
★ This lesson can be used as a document pass activity or a document “walk” around your classroom.

★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you!

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