CALIFORNIA HISTORY

Student’s Name:
Professor’s Name:
Course:
Date:
California History
The building of the Transcontinental Railroad represented a highly significant period in California’s development. The railroad was constructed in the 1860s and was approximately 1,800 miles long. The rail connected the Eastern United States to the Western United States. The provision of public land by the US government made it possible for the construction of the railroad (Wheaton 27). Both the government of the United States and mortgage companies financed the mega-project. The rail network became a significant boost to the economy of the Western United States. The network boosted the transportation of both goods and passengers. Additionally, the railway aligned the Western and Eastern States of the United States.
Two private companies were involved in the construction of the railroad which was also known as the Pacific Railroad. The Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific corporations were tasked with the construction of the railway line (Wheaton 11). The construction followed the enactment of a legislative Act in the United States because there was a dire need for joining the east and west coast. The two companies took seven years to complete the ambitious project that would revolutionize not only the transport sector but also the economy of the United States. One company began constructing the railway from Nebraska, while the other started in California. The companies converged at Utah State which was the central point.

The railroad became highly significant to the State of California and the United States in general. The railway had some dramatic political, cultural, and economic significance to the development of the US. Businesses along the line thrived tremendously as a result (Wheaton 24). The market for goods and services was opened up in California. It was a quick mode of transportation of goods to the Californian coast. California could get goods from the east coast relatively quickly than before. Industrial cities developed and increased the production of goods that benefited California and the US in general. Also, California could export its goods and skilled manpower to other parts of the US because of the eased transportation.
The US government and the private sector made it possible for the construction of a modern railway that revolutionized the transport sector. The executive decision of constructing the railway line was because numerous gold deposits had been discovered in some foothills in California. The railway made it possible for other railroad networks that branched off from the main line (Wheaton 7). The railroad was characterized by magnificent tunnels, trestles, and bridges. The design of the project became a significant attraction to the people who had never witnessed it before. Equally, the railroad’s design was critical to its function. As a result, the competing railroads built bridges and tunnels quickly. The most significant highlight of the railroad is that it brought revenue to the government’s exchequer.
It is significant to point out that the Transcontinental Railroad was highly pivotal to the economy of California and the United States at large. The political, social, economic, and cultural transformation that the infrastructure brought cannot be overemphasized. It was a historical milestone as the United States had never witnessed it before (Wheaton 16). The project revolutionized the transport sector in a significant way. Goods and services could easily be transported to the east coast and the west coast. Additionally, the railway promoted the development of other feeder railroads to service the main line. Indeed, the Transcontinental Railroad brought some form of industrial revolution because commodities could easily be transported between states.
Works Cited
Wheaton, James. The First Transcontinental Railroad: A History of the Building of the Railway line, New York: CRW Publishing Limited, 2011.