started moving West even before the civil war started, but a majority of them moved after the civil war ended. A popular way to travel in the west was by railroad, there was not a ton of railroads, just a couple small ones. Soon after more settlers started moving west the need for a transcontinental railroad was tremendous. The transcontinental Railroad impacted Western settlement in a way that benefited the United States’ economy, generated new jobs, and created tension between Native Americans and unfamiliar
“Before the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, it cost nearly $1,000 dollars to travel across the country. After the railroad was completed, the price dropped to $150 dollars.”(History.com Staff). Prior to the railroad the average citizen of America could not afford to travel across the country cheaply. America waited for a means of transportation which would connect them from the Western to Eastern states. The responsibility of creating the railroads were left up to construction companies
The transcontinental railroad, one monumental part of America's history. This railroad helped push the idea of westward expansion and improved the way settlers lived. Once the railroad was done, settlers in America could shorten a travel time of 6 weeks to 6 days. The railroad also improved the economy for the settlers, as they could ship goods to places across the country. Although this does seems like a dream come true, for every positive there is a negative. Settlers did benefit greatly from
The Transcontinental railroad was the most prolific tool for United States western expansion and acted as jet fuel to the fire of the United States economy. The railroad revolutionized transportation of goods and the freedom that Americans now had to travel from coast-to-coast. Western expansionism of the United States fulfilled itself with the completion of the Transcontinental railroad in 1869. The railroad had been a thought since the early 1800s, but that tree bore no fruit until President Abraham
The transcontinental railroad was the most influential innovation of the United States, that brought a revolution of how people traveled. One year after the Civil War ended the people of the United States were looking for a way to unite their country back together. This helped mold the United States as to what it has become today. It helped people cross the country and improved how goods were transported. The man that was forming the transcontinental railroad was a merchant named Asa Whitney. He
Negative and Positive Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad Jeff Neukirch History 101 American History to 1877 Dr. Kimberly Weathers 26 June 2012 The Impacts of the Transcontinental Railroad On May 10, 1869 as the “Last Spike” struck by Leland Stanford now connected the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads across the United States at Promontory Summit in the Utah Territory. The transcontinental railroads now complete and America is now destined to move to the forefront of the
The Transcontinental Railroad was a technological breakthrough that managed to make the USA feel smaller to travelers. Railroad systems had been in place decades before the transcontinental railroad had been constructed. However, these systems were not in synch as there were many different railroad companies and even more laws in place from state to state. This was in part due to the civil war, during this period both governments wanted better transportation of goods and troops. This caused many
the late 1800s, the transcontinental railroad was underway from being built. For many in that day and age it meant a multitude of opportunities. But for others, it meant that everything that they had worked hard to bring into the world was going to come crashing down on them. For many American settlers, the Great Plains area didn’t spark much interest. But many were beginning to change their minds in the years leading up to the Civil War. As the Continental railroad was beginning to move
the Pacific Railroad Act into law. The act said that there were two main railroad lines. The Central Pacific Railroad would come from California and the Union Pacific Railroad would come from the Midwest. The two railroads would meet somewhere in the middle.”(Ducksters). Seven years later the Transcontinental Railroad is finished and you can now travel across the country with ease. The Transcontinental Railroad has impacted positive Westward expansion because The Transcontinental Railroad helped people
The Transcontinental Railroad was one of the most ambitious engineering projects, economic stimulants, and efficient methods of transportation in the early United States. If completed, the United States would be truly be united from east to west. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the Transcontinental Railroad helped develop new opportunities for many aspects of American life. The Transcontinental Railroad was the largest project the United States had ever seen. Due to lack of technology