Pacific Railway Act Of 1862: Birth Of The Transcontinental Railroad
The Pacific Railway Act of 1862 authorized the construction of a transcontinental railroad, connecting the East and West Coasts. The Act created the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad companies, granting them land grants and subsidies. Completed in 1869, the First Transcontinental Railroad revolutionized transportation, fostered westward expansion, and transformed the U.S. economy. It established…