Effect of the Transcontinental Railroad on Native Americans
Westward Expansion
The Transcontinental Railroad increased the speed at which Native American tribes were losing their land to white settlers.
- The railroad made it easier for people to move to the West and Midwest in the U.S. This caused more and more people to move west in search of the abundant resources. Many of these settlers moved onto Native American land and forced them to go elsewhere.
- Also, much of the land used to build the Transcontinental Railroad was Native American land.
Bison
The Transcontinental Railroad greatly diminished the population of bison in the United States. Bison were a major food source for Native Americans.
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