The transcontinental railroad didn’t really cross North America. In fact, the famed rail building that took place in the 1860s only completed the stretch from Nebraska to California. Readers will learn many new facts about the transcontinental railroad to augment what they learn in the social studies classroom. Historical images drive home the reality of a 12-hour workday, poor treatment of Chinese immigrant workers, and the dangerous tunneling through the Sierra Nevada. Fact boxes will further fascinate readers with one of the greatest industrial marvels of American history.