What is the: Who, what, where, when, why, and the short and long term causes of the transcontinental railroad
http://anar-manifestdestiny.blogspot.com/2007/11/transcontinental-railroad-shaping.html
http://www.ehow.com/info_8509845_were-causes-transcontinental-railroad.html
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3147
http://www.shmoop.com/transcontinental-railroad/summary.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcontinental_railroad
The transcontinental railroad was a major infrastructure project in the United States during the 19th century. To answer your question, let's break it down into several parts:
Who: The transcontinental railroad was a joint effort between two railroad companies – the Central Pacific Railroad, primarily composed of Chinese immigrant laborers, and the Union Pacific Railroad, predominantly staffed by Irish immigrant laborers. Key figures involved in the project include Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific, and Grenville Dodge, chief engineer of the Union Pacific.
What: The transcontinental railroad was a railway line connecting the eastern and western coasts of the United States. It was completed on May 10, 1869, when the Central Pacific and Union Pacific rail lines met at Promontory Summit, Utah. This railroad significantly reduced travel time and costs, facilitated trade and migration, and had a profound impact on the development of the nation.
Where: The transcontinental railroad spanned from Omaha, Nebraska (starting point of the Union Pacific) to Sacramento, California (starting point of the Central Pacific). The railroad covered a distance of approximately 1,912 miles, traversing diverse landscapes, including plains, mountains, and deserts.
When: Construction on the transcontinental railroad began in 1863 and was completed in 1869. It took six years to finish this monumental project, which required extensive engineering, labor, and organization.
Why: There were several reasons behind the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Firstly, it was envisioned as a means to improve transportation and communication between the eastern and western parts of the nation, spurring economic growth and westward expansion. Additionally, the railroad served military objectives by enabling quicker troop and supply movements. Lastly, the project aimed to unite a divided nation, as the Civil War had just concluded.
Short-term causes: Some key factors that contributed to the short-term causes of the transcontinental railroad include the Pacific Railroad Acts passed by the U.S. Congress in 1862 and 1864, which provided government funding and land grants to support the construction. The involvement of visionary leaders and the availability of a large immigrant labor force were also influential.
Long-term causes: The long-term causes of the transcontinental railroad can be traced back to the idea of Manifest Destiny, a belief that it was the United States' divine destiny to expand westward. This notion, combined with a desire for economic development and improved communication, fostered the need for a transcontinental rail link.
To gather more in-depth information on the transcontinental railroad, you can consult historical books, articles, or online resources dedicated to this subject.