Vaudeville

Before the civil war entertainment was mostly dance halls and a few variety of theaters. After the civil war businessmen wanted to do something more with this. Thus the up coming of Vaudeville. Vaudeville offered an assortment of animal acts, acrobats, gymnasts and dancers. The music for vaudevilles was ragtime music, ragtime music was based on the patterns of african american music to simulate the hectic pace of city life. Saloons, music-halls, and burlesque houses cared to those with a taste for the risqué.

The term "vaudeville,"is referring specifically to American Variety Entertainment. The word "vaudeville" became common usage after 1871 when Sargent's Great Vaudeville Company started up in Louisville, Kentucky.

(Animal acts from a vaudeville) http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma02/easton/vaudeville/baboon.mov

 

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma02/easton/vaudeville/vaudevillemain.html

Life in Camp

Life in the Camps

Life in a camp for a rail road builder meant long hard days. After working in the hot sun all day workers would have their money in pocket and be able to go back to these flimsily assembled buildings made from wood and canvases. These buildings could be anything from gambling houses or dance halls to saloons and were put up as needed. During the winter times workers would pack up their camps and stay in towns close by. Once the weather cleared up they would move back out to the rail roads and most of the time would leave these towns close to ghost towns.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/tcrr-hell/

  Transcontinental Rail Road

Transcontinental Rail Road had a huge impact in bring people and cultures closer together across America. With rail roads built shipment were made way easier which made product available for more people. For people at that time the world became a little smaller. More exotic food such as Japanese teas and Asian markets opened up. Rail roads also insured production boom because people weren't just selling to what was near by but now could ship across great distance. Trade was not the only thing that improved but also did travel, people could travel across the length of the continent in a matter of days. Not everyone was happy with the growth of rail roads, Native Americans were being pushed farther and farther back and over time would force Indians onto reservations within decades.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/tcrr-impact/