jan 8, 1862 - Pacific Railroad Acts

Description:

A series of acts of Congress that promoted the construction of a "transcontinental railroad" (the Pacific Railroad) in the United States through authorizing the issuance of government bonds and the grants of land to railroad companies.

Huge geographical gap between the California and the rest of the country -> a debate about how to link it with the rest of the country. This debate went nowhere because it was impossible to decide where the road would go. In 1862, the national government finally permissioned to companies (Union pacific, Central Pacific) to build the railroad.

The magnitude of a continental railroad was so great that the national government gave a lot to these companies -> huge advantages in terms of money and in terms of land.

The Union Pacific = given 5 million hectares and 27,2 million dollars.
Central Pacific = given half the land that was given to the U.P. (2 million hectares and 25.7 million dollars).
A massive national package in favor of those 2 companies.

In exhange for that, the companies agreed on transporting US army soldiers for basically nothing.

Also created new trade opportunities and a proof of the "superiority" of westward civilisation on England.

Settlers were attracted to these new territories because gold or silver was discovered.

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