The Golden Spike: How a Photograph Celebrated the Transcontinental Railroad

by Don Nardo

Overview

In the mid-1860s, as the Union Pacific Railroad headed westward from Nebraska, another company, the Central Pacific, pushed eastward from California. Their goal was to meet somewhere in between, forming a single railway line that would bridge the continent. That historic meeting took place in May 1869 in northern Utah, and photographer Andrew J. Russell was there to document the historic event. His work resulted in one of the most important photos of the 19th century and probably the most famous railroad image of all time. The photo, often called “East and West,” was viewed by a worldwide audience and affirmed that railroads were at the cutting edge of transportation technology. The continent was now linked.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780756549916
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	01/01/2015
Series:	Captured History Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	9.25(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.38(d)
Lexile:	1170L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Noted historian and award-winning author Don Nardo has written many books for young people about American history. Nardo lives with his wife, Christine, in Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Historic connection — Immense undertaking — Uniting the republic — A changing country.

Interviews

Primary source quotes Outstanding photographs Engaging, narrative nonfiction Maps Extensive research Expert consultation

Editorial Reviews

Top 10 Continuing Series! The stunning books in this series view history through the lens of groundbreaking photographs, zooming in on iconic moments and then placing them in greater historical context. Look for series subsets in world history and sports, too.

Booklist