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Without the assistance of the U.S. government, railroad
construction between 1860 and 1900 would have been greatly curtailed. Building a railroad
was an expensive venture. Private banks, fearing the railroad companies would need a long
time to pay off their debts, were reluctant to loan money to the companies. To
remedy the situation, Congress provided assistance to the railroad companies in the form
of land grants. The land grant railroads, receiving millions of acres of public land, sold
the land to make money, built their railroads, and contributed to a more rapid settlement
of the West. In the end, four out of the five transcontinental railroads were built with
help from the federal government.
The following are a map of land Congress turned over to the railroads in the form of land grants and an announcement for the sale of railroad lands. Why do you think Congress made land available to the railroads in the places and configurations shown on the map? What incentives did the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad Company offer to potential land buyers? Why do you think the company chose to use the poster as a marketing device? Do you think it is effective? The document on the left is from American Landscape and Architectural Design, 1850-1920. The document on the right is from American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides. Click on the images below to view a larger image. Use your browser's Back Button to return to this point.
top of page The document on the left is from American Landscape and Architectural Design, 1850-1920. The document on the right is from American Time Capsule: Three Centuries of Broadsides. Click on the images below to view a larger image. Use your browser's Back Button to return to this point. |
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War and Reconstruction | Rise of Industrial
America | Progressive Era
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| Last updated 09/26/2002 |
