Transcontinental Railroad

Abstract

The paper discusses the Transcontinental Railroad from its proposition stage till the completion. The paper comprises of the factors that affected the construction of the route, as well as the differences that existed between construction in East and West. The purpose of the paper is to highlight the major details of the great endeavor and lead to the conclusion that it ended well. The major factors that are discussed are politics, economics and race.

Transcontinental Railroad

Introduction

The Transcontinental Railroad is a historic endeavor, which was affected by many factors; especially, political, economic and racial. The purpose of building the transcontinental railroad was to bridge the huge gap between the East and West. The West wanted to be connected to California, as it was the hub of economic activity. People with businesses saw great money in the expansion as their customer base would increase substantially. They would be able to utilize the railroads to serve customers from East to West. Adventurers were excited about the journeys awaiting them after the railroad was built. Many wanted to pursue the search for treasures, especially gold. At the time, gold was one of the greatest targets for exploration. In 1849, The California Gold Rush aroused excitement in many who wanted to search for gold. The main purpose of this paper is to prove that the transcontinental railroad was beneficial in the end, no matter what hurdles arose before and during construction.

Discussion

The Beginning of the Railroads

Going back in history to the early 1800s, America's first railroad was built to connect the Atlantic ports of Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Charleston, Wilmington, and Savannah. Twenty years later, four more railroad lines were built to reach the 'Western Waters' of the Great Lakes. At the same time, lines were built to connect Chicago, Memphis, and St. Louis to the East. The lines were expanded internationally, to connect with cities of Canada.

During the Civil War, the transcontinental railroads were founded, and it was only, but a dream. The Congress and the Military (Army, mostly) had opposed opinions regarding the transcontinental. Due to their struggle for power, the transcontinental remained only a dream for some time. It is certain that the government was not capable of handling and funding such a huge endeavor; therefore, it became a commercial venture. Had it remained with the government, the transcontinental would have taken twenty or so years to be built. The main driving force behind the quick construction of the transcontinental was competition.

The competition was between two companies; the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. Both companies were at each other's throat for competition and raced to beat the other in mileage of track. The actual construction of the transcontinental railroad began in 1865 after the government had decided upon the funds it would provide the two companies.

The expansion that took place in United States during the late nineteenth century was primarily due to the transcontinental railroad. It allowed for Westward expansion, which was beneficial to businessmen and all ...