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Congress Plan
Asa Whitney presented to Congress a plan for the federal government to subsidize the building of a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific. -
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Transcontinental Railroad
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Oregon Boundary
A reason for increase in support for the railroads. -
Western Territoreies from Mexico
A reason for increase in support for the railroads. -
Discovery of Gold in California
A reason for increase in support for the railroads. -
Funding Project
Congress appropriated funds to survey various proposed routes. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Rivalry routes was intense, however, and when Senator Stephen Douglas introduced his Kansas-Nebraska Act, intended to win approval for a line from Chicago, the ensuing sectional controversy between North and South forced a delay in plans. -
Congress Legislation
A Republican-controlled Congress enacted legislation providing for construction of a transcontinental line. The law provided that the railroad be built by two companies; each recieved federal land grantsfor 10 alternate sections per mile on both sides of the line. -
Building the railroads
The Union Pacific RR began construction from Omaha, Nebraska, while the Central Pacific broke ground at Sacramento, California. The two met in Promontory, Utah. -
Golden Spike
A golden spike joined the two railways, thus completing the first transcontinental railroad. -
Extending railways
Three additional lines were finished, The Northern Pacific RR streched from Lake Superior to Portland, Oregon; the Santa Fe extended from Atchison, Kansas, to Los Angeles; and the Southern Pacific connected Los Angeles with New Orleans. -
A Fifth railline
The Great Northern was the fifth line and was finished in 1893. Each of the companies recieved extensive grants of land, although none obtained government loans.
