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AP Success - AP US History: Western Railroads' Expansion & Impact

Source 1

"To the Military Authorities it makes little difference with which of these two roads you ultimately make connection, but meantime every mile of rail road you build Eastward, is of great importance to us; saves the costly and difficult transportation of stones by wagons, and the infinitely more tedious and painful marching of men over dusty roads, at long intervals without water and with scanty food. A Railroad East and West through Arizona, apart from its importance as a Commercial Route from the Pacific to the Atlantic, is a “great civilizer” and will enable the Military Authorities to maintain peace and order among Indians, as well as the Equally dangerous class of Robbers who of late have so much increased in members and boldness."

William T. Sherman on the Western Railroads, 1878.

Question 1

Multiple choice

According to William T. Sherman, what was one of the primary military benefits of constructing railroads eastward through Arizona?

Question 2

Multiple choice

Sherman refers to the railroad as a 'great civilizer.' What does this suggest about his view on the role of railroads in the West?

Question 3

Multiple choice

What does Sherman identify as a significant problem that the military authorities face in the West?

Question 4

Multiple choice

Sherman's statement implies that railroads in the West would have an impact on which of the following?

Question 5

Multiple choice

The source from William T. Sherman reflects which broader trend in late 19th-century America?

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