History Notes

Centennial Exposition- 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Officially named the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine, it was held in Fairmount Park along the Schuylkill River on fairgrounds designed by Herman J. Schwarzmann. About 10 million visitors attended, equivalent to about 20% of the population of the United States at the time.
Elisha Graves Otis- United States inventor who manufactured the first elevator with a safety device (1811-1861)
Captains of Industry- was a business leader whose means of amassing a personal fortune contributes positively to the country in some way. This may have been through increased productivity, expansion of markets, providing more jobs, or acts of philanthropy. This characterization contrasts with that of the robber baron, a business leader using political means to achieve his ends.
Robber Barons - an unscrupulous plutocrat, esp. an American capitalist who acquired a fortune in the late nineteenth century by ruthless means.
Credit Mobilier- A joint stock company, formed for general banking business, or for the construction of public works, by means of loans on personal estate, after the manner of the credit foncier on real estate. In practice, however, this distinction has not been strictly observed.
Standard Gauge- a railroad gauge of 56.5 inches (1.435 m), standard in the US , Britain, and many other parts of the world.
Trunk Lines- a main line of a railroad, telephone system, or other network
Cornelius Vanderbilt- United States financier who accumulated great wealth from railroad and shipping businesses (1794-1877)
Union Pacific Railroad- is a Class I line haul freight railroad that operates 8,400 locomotives over 31,390 route-miles in 23 states west of Chicago, Illinois and New