Pacific Railroad Act 1862

• What did this act set out to do?

  To aid in construction of a railroad and telegraph line from the Missouri river to the Pacific ocean.
• How was land around the railroad divided?

  • Some land was secured for government use, for example post offices.
  • Land was sold for cheap and loans were given with low interest for purchasing land.
  • Huge grants of land were given.
• Why did the railroad encourage migration?

  The railroad encouraged westward because the land around it was sold for cheap.
• When did the Transcontinental Railroad finish construction?

  The Transcontinental Railroad finished development in 1869.
• How was the Transcontinetal Railroad made?

  Two construction companies, one from the East and one from the West, build inwards and met in the middle.
• What was the name of the railroad the Pacific Railroad Act encouraged?

  The railroad was called the Transcontinental Railroad.