Pacific Railroad Act

The Pacific Railroad Act, enacted in 1862, was a U.S. federal law that authorized the construction of the first transcontinental railroad. It provided land grants and government bonds to railroad companies, primarily the Central Pacific and Union Pacific, to fund and facilitate the building of a rail link connecting the eastern U.S. to California. This act aimed to promote westward expansion, improve transportation, and unify the country economically and geographically. The completion of the railroad revolutionized travel, commerce, and settlement across the American West.