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Asa Whitney
Asa Whitney presented a plan to Congress to get the government to support the building of a railroad spanning from the Mississippi River to the Pacific. -
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Expansion of the West
The Transcontinental Railroad contributed greatly to the expansion of the West. The Railroad for starters was the first thing that connected the East and the West of the United States. It allowed people to travel faster and ship supplies and goods to opposite ends of the country in a much faster timeframe. It also made it more realistic for families to move West and start a new life. With the discovery of gold and other minerals, miners could travel to the West faster to try and strike it rich. -
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Expansion of the West 2
The railroad also opened up a whole new market. With the new height of the railways, towns quickly emerged right along side of it. Towns forms, businesses were built, and the West became a booming place. It allowed people to set up a business and become successful because of all the people that were travelling through those areas. It created an atmosphere much more like the East and allwed for the West to grow into the nation. -
Oregon Boundary
This year the Oregon boundary was settled. -
Territory from Mexico
This year the United States bought western territories from Mexico. -
Gold Discovery
The discovery of gold in California increased support for the railroad. -
Proposed Routes
In 1853 Congress made funds to survey multiple possible routes for railroads. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
In this year, Senator Stephen Douglas tried to win approval for a line from Chicago, but controversy between the North and the South delayed the plans. -
Legislation for Transcontinental Line
A Republican controlled Congress created legislation providing for the construction of a transcontinental railroad liine. It provided for the railroad to be built by two companies, each allowed federal land grants of 10 alternate sectoins per mile on both sides of the raliroad line. It also provided for a 30-year government loan for each mile of track that was constructed. -
First transcontinental Railroad
The Unioin Pacific Railroad began in Omaha, Nebraska while the Central Pacific Railroad started in Sacromento, California. The lines met at Promontory Summit, Utah. -
Finishing First Transcontinental Railroad
A Golden Spike was driven into the two railways connecting them into one railroad. -
Three More Railroads
The Northern Pacific Railroad stretched from Lake Superior to Portland, Oregon; the Santa Fe stretched from Atchison, Kansas to Los Angeles; and the Southern Pacific stretched from Los Angeles to New Orleans, Louisiana. -
The Great Northern Railroad
The fifth transcontinental railroad was called the Great Northern.
