Age of Railroads

1. What problems did employees of the railroad companies face?
Employees of the railroad companies faced attacks by Native Americans, risks of diseases, and accidents that occurred on the "treacherous terrain."
2. What was it like to live as a Pullman employee in the town of Pullman?
Pullman employees in the town of Pullman had all their basic needs taken care of by the Pullman town, and were given nice house and apartments buildings. They were also provided with facilities like doctors' office and shops.  But, they were very restricted when it came to their daily lives: for example, they weren't allowed to drink alcohol or to "loiter" on their front steps. Eventually when Pullman cut his employees' pay but didn't lower the price of rents, there was a strike. 

3. Who was involved in Crédit Mobilier, and what was the purpose of this company?
Vice-President Schuyler Colfax, Congressman James Garfield, some representatives in Congress, as well as other important figures were involved with the stockholders in the Union Pacific Railroad in Crédit Mobilier. The purpose of this company was for magnates to gain a lot of profit by laying down track for more than its actual worth.

4. In what ways did the railroad companies use their power to hurt farmers?
Railroad companies would go against the government's attention and not sell the land grants to settlers but to other businesses, form agreements that keep farmers in debt, and charge different customers different rates.

5. Why didn’t the decision in the Munn v. Illinois case succeed in checking the power of the railroads?
The decision in the Munn v. Illinois case didn't succeed in checking the power of the railroads because states didn't have the right at that time to set rates on interstate commerce. So, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act in 1887.

6. Why didn’t the Interstate Commerce Act immediately limit the power of the railroads? 
The Interstate Commerce Act didn't immediately limit the power of the railroads because there was resistance from the railroads, and it was a long legal process. Then, the Supreme Court announced that the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) could not set maximum railroad rates, which made it even harder to limit the power of the railroads.