Essay on The Transcontinental Railroad And Westward...

The Transcontinental Railroad and Westward Expansion Thesis: The transcontinental railroad greatly increased Westward expansion in the United States of America during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The history of the United States has been influenced by England in many ways. In the second half of the 1800s, the railroad, which was invented in England, had a major effect on Western expansion in the United States. quot;Railroads were born in England, a country with dense populations, short distances between cities, and large financial resources. In America there were different circumstances, a sparse population in a huge country, large stretches between cities, and only the smallest amounts of money.quot;†¦show more content†¦Romantics dreamed of the discoveries of wild Indians, scouts and hunters, and, of course, gold. Gold had been a desired find throughout the exploration of America. The California Gold Rush of 1849 again created much excitement about the search for gold. The Pacific Railroads were founded when the Civil War was in progress. Until the war was over, the transcontinental railroad was a giant enterprise stalled by much bickering between a reluctant Congress and the Army, who had clamored for it (Cooke 254). If it had been left to the government, it would have taken another twenty years to complete the transcontinental railroad. However, it was a commercial venture, and it was fortunately fed by the adrenaline of competition. There were two railroad companies building the transcontinental railroad, the Union Pacific from the East, and the Central Pacific from the West. The two companies struggled to beat each other in slamming down a record mileage of track. At first, Congress avidly pursued the project and they had stipulated that the Central Pacific should stop when it reached the California Border (Congress was full of Easterners). In 1865, after much argument about the aid the government was providing to the two companies, the actual construction of the transcontinental railroad was started. Then in 1866, Congress decided that two companiesShow MoreRelatedThe Transcontinental Railroad and Westward Expansion2707 Words   |  11 PagesThe Transcontinental Railroad and Westward Expansion Thesis: The transcontinental railroad greatly increased Westward expansion in the United States of America during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The history of the United States has been influenced by England in many ways. In the second half of the 1800 s, the railroad, which was invented in England, had a major effect on Western expansion in the United States. Railroads were born in England, a country with dense populationsRead MoreManifest Destiny And Westward Expansion Essay1447 Words   |  6 Pages1) OUTLINE: I. Topic sentence. Manifest destiny and westward expansion was a tremendous key component to the growth of the nation economically because of the impact it had on native americans, women empowerment, and expanding the population of the country. II. Significance of topic. Americans looked towards the western lands as an opportunity for large amounts of free land, for growth of industry, and pursue the manifest destiny. III. List of evidence related to topic. The railwaysRead MoreWestward Expansion Of The United States1060 Words   |  5 PagesWestward expansion changed into the preference of the US to govern the territories of western components of the United States that had been either unclaimed or occupied by using other international locations. It is pertinent to comprehend that the us history became inspired with the aid of England in diverse methods. Within the second 1/2 of 18th century, the railroad which that turned into invented in England introduced a main effect in the USA enlargement to the West. Railroads originated fromRead MoreThe United States Railway System1001 Words   |  5 Pagesconsisted of carriages and wagons being pulled down a track by a horse or two. This form of train was most commonly used for transporting freight. Luckily, Colonel Stevens received the first ever railway grant in 1815 to construct the New Jersey Railroad Company. By 1826, Stevens tested the first steam-engine train in the United States, known as the â€Å"Steam Wagon.† The â€Å"Steam Wagon† relied on the power of steam to move. Coal was shoveled into something called a â€Å"firebox.† The heat created from theRead MoreThe Transcontinental Railroad And The Railroad1217 Words   |  5 PagesThe Transcontinental Railroad Amid the 1800’s, America was experiencing a period of development known as the Industrial Revolution. America was in its first century of being an autonomous and creative nation. One of the greatest commitments to this huge innovative progression was the foundation of the Transcontinental Railroad. The westward expansion designed to be the key to a nation-building project and a change for the United States.[1] The Pacific Railroads cleared the path in which builtRead MoreThe Expansion of America to the West1314 Words   |  5 Pagesaway from the east coast, across the Mississippi westward. After many western states joined the Union, hundreds of thousands of pioneers migrated to the new territories, which shifted the majority of the country’s population to the West. With so much uninhabited and unorganized land available, the desire for more land brought aspiring pioneers to the frontier. As enticing as the idea was, something else was persuading many people to mig rate westward. Manifest Destiny became a widely used conceptRead MoreImpact Of Railroads On American Development And The Framework Of The Country2242 Words   |  9 PagesRailroads made a huge contribution to United States, they led to many advances throughout American History. There were numerous matters the railroads effected in American development and the framework of the country. The railroad had positive and negative effects on America as a whole through the growth of the industry, such as; encouraged western expansion, enhanced the economy, recognized railroad monopolies, assisted the Union in Civil War, helped keep the country together, and created a highRead MoreThe Transcontinental Railroad Was A Marvel Of Engineering And Perseverance1148 Words   |  5 PagesNovember 17th, 2017 The Transcontinental Railroad is a marvel of engineering and perseverance. A transcontinental railroad is railroad that crosses through a continent. It was built between 1862 and 1869 across the United States. The initial project was proposed in 1845, but it took more time to start the dangerous construction. It had multiples consequences for the United States, not all positive. But the Transcontinental Railroad did affect the westward expansion. In 1845, Asa Whitney, an importantRead MoreThe Transcontinental Railroad: Blood, Sweat, Tears and an American Dream3111 Words   |  13 PagesHistory evident by the Industrial Revolution and the Civil War. However, it was the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad which profoundly changed the United States. The discovery of gold, the acquisition of Mexican territories and the continued settlement of the West increased the need for a primary railway system connecting the East and the West Coasts. The Transcontinental Continental Railroad aided the settling of the west and closed the last of the remaining frontier, bringing newfound economicRead MoreEffects Of Westward Expansion715 Words   |  3 PagesWestward expansion was a time of successes and failures, a time celebrations and grief, a time full of life and death but in the end it shaped how America is the way is today. Westward expansion was put in action because of the belief of Manifest Destiny, the belief that it is America fate to expand from the Atlantic to Pacific ocean. The economical, political and humanitarians impacts were necessary to achieve the goal of manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion. Westward Expansion had the biggest