| Started during the war that divided the United | | | | the Union Pacific Railroad; sparking a competition |
| States, the construction of the First | | | | between the two companies to see who could |
| Transcontinental Railroad was completed after the | | | | finish first. |
| Civil War and heralded an era of new unity and | | | | Both companies had to overcome many problems |
| hope for the United States. But, before the | | | | and challenges, including material and labour |
| railroad was even started there were many | | | | shortages, before their momentous task was |
| hurdles to overcome, and the fact that it was | | | | complete. However, despite all the logistical |
| ever built is a tribute to human resilience and | | | | problems and frequent attacks and disruption |
| endeavour. | | | | from Native Americans, the railroad was |
| The discovery of gold in California in 1849 | | | | completed after six years and is still one of the |
| suddenly propelled the state from one that | | | | most momentous engineering projects ever |
| attracted little interest as it was considered a | | | | carried out in the continental USA. |
| barren wasteland into one that people raced to | | | | At 12:20 p.m. on Monday 10th May, 1869 at |
| inhabit and exploit. Suddenly, plans for a | | | | Promontory Point, Utah, the insertion of the final |
| Transcontinental Railroad that only several years | | | | spike marked the completion of the |
| earlier were ridiculed as unworkable and | | | | Transcontinental Railroad. The official ceremony |
| over-ambitious were revived resulting in an 1853 | | | | was witnessed by about 600 workers and |
| Act of Congress. However, conflicting interests | | | | dignitaries, a bottle of champagne smashed over |
| between North and South prevented an | | | | a special laurel tie to huge applause and a |
| agreement being reached on the route. Ironically, | | | | telegraph was sent to the nation containing one |
| it was not until the outbreak of the Civil War that | | | | word; ‘Done’. |
| the Transcontinental Railroad became a reality. | | | | Once complete, the railroad instantly propelled its |
| With Southern opposition removed from positions | | | | western coast terminus at Sacramento to |
| in federal government as a result of secession, | | | | prominence. The future Californian capital had |
| the Senate and House of Representatives passed | | | | acted as the distribution point for the building |
| the Pacific Railroad Acts in 1862 and 1864, which | | | | materials while the railroad was under construction |
| eventually paved the way for the construction of | | | | and once completed saw a massive influx of |
| the railroad. Under this legislation the railroads | | | | prospectors and settlers from the East. As a |
| were granted use of building materials and land | | | | result the city underwent a building boom which |
| across 20 million acres and received government | | | | led to the construction of many homes, civic |
| support for loans amounting to $60 million. | | | | buildings, shops and hotels in Sacramento, which |
| Groundbreaking took place in January 1863 in | | | | were vital to temporarily house the rush of |
| Sacramento, California by the Central Pacific | | | | settlers before they decided upon their final |
| Railroad and in December of the same year at | | | | location within California. |
| Missouri River bluffs near Omaha, Nebraska by | | | | |