RAILROADS KEY IN WESTERN EXPANSION BETWEEN 1860 AND 1890

HIST 102: American History since 1877
May 21, 2016

Professor
HIST 102
19 May 2016

Railroads Key in Western Expansion between 1860 and 1890
The time period between 1860 and 1890 in American history were critical times for westward expansion in the nation. During this period the nation went through sweeping changes as many territories and unorganized territories became states, major cities nearly tripled in number and agriculture saw a dramatic increase in improved agricultural land. This expansion from east to west was most definitely facilitated by the significant increase in the railroad networks.
In the early 1860’s the farthest west the railroads touched were the eastern border of Texas. By the end of the 1890’s the railroads had expanded as far as the most western border of California, northern tip of Washington and the Southern border of Texas. In the early 1860’s approximately two thirds of the United States domestic lands were actually States, while four were still considered unorganized territories and the remaining were territories. At this time there were two prominent railroads in the United States, these two lines were the Central and the Pacific Railways. Contracts were awarded to these two companies to bring westward expansion and connect the east and west coasts. The growth and expansion of the nation’s railroads also brought millions of immigrant workers to the nation compromised mainly of Chinese and Irish immigrants to work the railroads. This initial merge of the two coasts would meet at Promontory, Utah and was achieved on May 10, 1869. The government realized that the railroads were key in the expansion and simultaneously offered incentives to the American people to move and expand westward. The government enacted the Homestead Act off 1862 to further