Creative Assignment: Westward Expansion and the Transcontinental Railroad
Background Information: In 1858, gold was found in Colorado. As more Americans began moving West to
mine some of the new resources, the need to send goods and information between the West and the East
grew. In 1860, the Pony Express, a company that used messengers on horseback to ferry messages back and
forth, was established to meet this need. Telegraph lines came next. While the telegraph and pony express
helped ferry messages back and forth, Americans eventually demanded a way to travel and get bigger goods
to the West. That want was what led to the Transcontinental Railroad.
Assignment Directions: After reviewing Chapter 7 and the sections on Mining and the Transcontinental
Railroad, please choose one of the two options below to complete your assignment.
o Option A: Newspaper Article: Imagine that you are a reporter tasked with writing a 2-3 paragraph
newspaper article for the local newspaper on the Transcontinental Railroad and the Westward
expansion. In your article, you must include:
o a headline
o the challenge of building the railroad
o how the railroad will change life in the West
o how it will help settlers who are looking to move West
o the improvements in communication between family members in different regions of
the United States
** You may include clip art or images. Be sure to cite your sources.