Go West, Young Man, On the Transcontinental Railroad!
The Civil War happened in the midst of other Big Trends in 1850s and 1860s. One of those was the opening up of the West, with the discovery of gold in California and silver in Nevada.

• Many business people saw opportunity in convincing Congress to support the building of a Transcontinental Railroad to tie together East and West. Many politicians wanted the RR to be successful, but funding during a war was a big problem.

• Lobbying, shenanigans, and outright bribery were some of the tools used to provide relative advantages to one set of backers vs. another. Lots of intrigue, and much happening, while the Civil War was raging!

• In this talk, Dr. Dave Schrader provides the history of the Transcontinental Railroad, focusing on the key players behind the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads, key strategies to finance and execute the plans, and the most interesting stories behind the scenes, including Lincoln’s critical role.

Dr. Dave has been a frequent speaker at CWRT meetings in Southern California. This is his 14th talk on different Civil War topics telling always “the rest of the story”. You know that you do not want to miss this meeting!

Dr. Dave Schrader
Dr. Dave Schrader has been giving CWRT talks to Los Angeles audiences since 2013. He is particularly fascinated by “the rest of the story” – for example, the activities of support organizations such as the Signal Corps, the Quartermaster, and Commissary Corps, who often played major, but behind-the-scenes, roles in the abilities of generals and presidents to achieve their goals. Or, people like Lincoln’s Secretaries, or his Ambassadors, that played a pivotal role in supporting the President and his policies. Or, the Fire-Eaters, who drummed up support for secession in the south. Most of Dave’s talks are interactive so be prepared for audience participation!