Maxim Gun

The Maxim gun was the first recoil powered gun invented by Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim.  In 1884 Maxim created a weapon that was soon to change the way weapons worked and specifically took over the use of Gatling, Gardner and Nordenfelt guns.  Before the Maxim, machine guns were fired using mechanical cranking.  The problem with these old fashioned machine guns was that they overheated quite easily and required the user to cool and and clean the gas out of the chamber fairly often.  However the new Maxim only required water cooling much less often.  This made the Maxim able to shoot 600 rounds per minute, equivalent to that of 30 bolt-action rifles at the time.  Although the Maxim was heavy, awkward and especially bulky, it was able to put out more firepower than anything else ever before.  Due to its problems it was normally operated by a small team of men but it was possible to be used by one single person.  Overall the Maxim changed the way of warfare, especially within the British.

Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad

Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad

The railroad started in California and slowly made its way all the way to the east coast.  In a sense the world "grew smaller", everything seemed much closer and much more accessible.  People were able to make the trip from San Francisco to New York in a week or less.  Travelers were no longer worried of having to go across an ocean or through the Panama Canal. 

The Native Americans hated the Transcontinental Railroad.  It tore apart their land and forced them to move off of their own space.  By 1890 the majority of fertile Native American land would be lost for forever.   Trade boomed after the transcontinental railroad among the nation.  All the resources mined on the west coast were now able to spread across the country and create an even better economy which resulted in more and more trade within countries and states.

Life in camp; www.burbidgehistory.blogspot.com
Dealing with workers; www.jocelyntrejoushistory.blogspot.com 

Hiring the Workers; www.hendrickvvushistory.blogspot.com