Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
The Pacific Railroad Act, 1862 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Why was There a Need for the Pacific Railroad Act? - Timeline & Summary
In the 1850s, transportation across the USA consisted of travelling along the Oregon Trail on horseback.
There was a growing demand for faster and more efficient transportation. The construction of a transcontinental railroad was a crucial infrastructure project. It would speed up the movement of people, goods and resources across the nation. By doing this, the US economy would grow.
The conflict within the USA made it more necessary to link East to West. The US government defeated the Confederacy in 1865. A transcontinental railroad would help the movement of military troops and supplies for a future conflict. The transport link also asserted US control and influence over the western territories.
Additionally, the US government want to promote Western settlement. The Pacific Railroad Act made it quicker and safer to migrate westward. This would allow more US citizens to fulfil Manifest Destiny and create a nation that stretched from coast to coast.
Aims of the Pacific Railroad Act
The Pacific Railroad Act aimed to:
Construct a transcontinental railroad between East and West
The North had an extensive rail network but it only reached as far west as Missouri
The railroad would have to navigate through the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains
Resolve disputes around the First Transcontinental Railroad
The northern states wanted to connect California with the industrial North through Chicago
The southern states thought this route would disadvantage them. They wanted the railroad to connect to southern states
The Building of the First Transcontinental Railroad
Due to the American Civil War, the northern states had control over the federal government
In 1862, the US government chose a route that connected California to Omaha, Nebraska
The US government committed to:
'Extinguish' the land rights that the Indigenous tribes had on the proposed route
Giving each railway company $16,000 for every mile of track
Granting public land for the railway companies to sell
Creating the first transcontinental electric telegraph to run along the railroad
Construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad began in 1863
The Union Pacific Railway started from East to West
The Central Pacific Railway was constructed from West to East
They aimed to join the two railroads together
On 10th May 1869, the two railroads connected at Promontory Summit, Utah
How did Railroads Impact the Settlement of the West?
Achievements | Limitations |
|---|---|
Railroad companies used marketing to attract settlers to the West | The US government loaned the railway companies $61 million. This was an extraordinary amount of money. The Union Pacific purposefully overcharged the government |
Railroad companies did what they could to make migration easier. They organised trips, using the experience of existing settlers, to see the attractions of the area. They gave out loans to help people buy land | The Union Pacific and the Central Pacific nearly went bankrupt. The terrain made the engineering challenging, especially for the Central Pacific company |
Railroad companies attracted immigrants to settle in the West. Each company had a Bureau of Immigration to persuade people to travel to the USA | The southern states did not benefit as much from the Transcontinental Railroad as the northern states |
By 1880, the railroad companies settled 200 million acres. This was more successful than the Homestead Act |
Worked Example
Explain the importance of the railroads for changes in the way of life of the Indigenous peoples
8 marks
Partial answers:
The railroad was important to the Indigenous peoples as it impacted their way of life. The construction of the railroads destroyed the grassland on which the buffalo fed. It also brought in many buffalo hunters. This caused the number of buffalo to decline dramatically. This was a significant change for the Indigenous peoples. The buffalo was fundamental for the way of life of many Indigenous tribes. A reduction of the buffalo would impact their source of food, shelter and clothing.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This style of question in the exam paper would be worth 8 marks. An examiner would expect you to write two paragraphs analysing the importance of an event on a wider theme like migration. A good response to this style of question would have:
A logical structure of paragraphs. Within each paragraph, each sentence should link to the next. This will build a strong argument as to why the event is important to the wider theme
Specific own knowledge linked to the event, showing in-depth knowledge of the period
A clear explanation as to why the event was important to a wider theme. In the example above, you can see the phrase 'This was a significant change for the Indigenous peoples.' This helps to keep the response focused on the question
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