USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The building of the transcontinental railroad opened up the American West to more rapid development. With the completion of the track, the travel time for making the 3, 000-mile journey across the United States was cut from a matter of months to under a week.

Detailed explanation-2: -In 1862 Congress passed the Pacific Railroad Acts which designated the 32nd parallel as the initial transcontinental route and gave huge grants of lands for rights-of-way. The legislation authorized two railroad companies, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific, to construct the lines.

Detailed explanation-3: -The story goes that on May 10, 1869, the Central Pacific Railroad’s tracks from the west were connected to the Union Pacific Railroad’s tracks from the east in Promontory Summit, Utah.

Detailed explanation-4: -“All workers on the railroad were ‘other’, ” said Liebhold. “On the west, there were Chinese workers, out east were Irish and Mormon workers were in the center.