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The Plan
Asa Whitney presented to congress a plan to build a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific -
Settlement of Oregon Boundary
Increased support for project -
Acquisition of western territories from Mexico
Increased support for project -
Discovery of gold in California
Increased Support for project -
Approval
Congress appropriated funds to survey various proposed routes -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
Senator Stephen Douglas, intended to win approval for a line from Chicago, the ensuing sectional controversy between North and South forced a delay in the plans -
Congress enacted legislation
Beginning of Transcontinental Railroad -
Union Pacific RR began construction from Omaha, Nebr
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Promontory Summit, Utah, and on May 10, 1869
a golden spike joined the two railways, thus completing the first transcontinental railroad -
Three additional lines were finished
the Northern Pacific RR stretched from Lake Superior to Portland, Oreg.; the Santa Fe extended from Atchison, Kans., to Los Angeles; and the Southern Pacific connected Los Angeles with New Orleans -
A fifth line, the Great Northern, was completed