Railroad and Western Expansion in the USA
The Westward Expansion is one of the most significant periods of the American history. Its timeline may not be easy to define as the exact dates of its beginning and end are debatable. Most sources name the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 the commencement of the Western Expansion. However, 1767 may also claim to be the beginning of it. Then Daniel Boone, an American pioneer and one of the first folk heroes of the country, explored Kentucky for the first time. As for the end of the Westward Expansion, in 1890 The Government of the United States announced that the Western Lands had been explored. Therefore, this year can be termed as the end of the Expansion. However, many people could insist that it has never been finished and the United States is still expanding its power adhering to Manifest Destiny. That was a popular 19th century belief which justified the expansion, stating that it was the destiny of American settlers to expand across North America. Although the term has not been widely used since the beginning of the XX century, it has been quite popular in journalism. Nowadays they sometimes use it to define the American mission of the promotion of democracy around the world. In this context Manifest Destiny continues to have an influence on American political ideology (Scott). However, no matter when exactly the Westward Expansion started and when is supposedly came to its end, it symbolizes the American spirit, strength of mind and perseverance.
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, described the whole story of America as “the great leap westward” (History.net). It started with the Thirteen Colonies in the East of the country and continued with the Alaska Purchase in 1867 and the acquisition of Hawaii in 1898. It goes without saying that such a leap would not have been possible without a railway, a revolutionary means of transport of the 19th century. The idea of the first transcontinental railroad was extremely challenging and absolutely innovative at that time. However, such a railway line was a critical need for the young but ambitious nation. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, realized this need perfectly well, even though the country was at the height of the Civil War (1861-1865). It was essential for the conduct of the War to have California money (Huffman) and guarantee that the state would remain in the Union. The railroad had to become a link between the three Pacific states of California, Oregon and Nevada and keep the two coasts together. The President understood it perfectly well and was convinced by the project and arguments of Theodore Judah. He was the engineer who played the main role in determining the best route for the railroad taking the Sierra Nevada into account. This mountain range was the biggest challenge for the construction as it required an enormous amount of work and funding resources to meet it. …
