Key topic 2: Development of the Plains, c1862–c1876 - 1 The development of…

The idea

The railroads were highly significant in developing the West, transforming migration, trade, and settlement. The Pacific Railroad Act (1862) provided the legal and financial framework, granting massive tracts of land and government bonds to companies to build the route. The completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 connected the East and West coasts, reducing a perilous months-long journey to a matter of days. The subsequent spread of the railroad network facilitated the rapid movement of homesteaders onto the Plains, enabled the transport of agricultural goods and cattle to eastern markets, and accelerated the destruction of the Plains Indians' way of life by dividing buffalo herds and bringing more settlers.

What earns the marks

• Explain the terms of the Pacific Railroad Act (1862), including land grants and government loans to railroad companies.
• Describe the impact of the First Transcontinental Railroad (1869) on travel time, safety, and the volume of westward migration.
• Analyse how the spread of the railroad network stimulated the economic development of the Plains, particularly for farming and the cattle industry.
• Evaluate the negative consequences of the railroads on Plains Indians, such as the disruption of buffalo migration and increased white settlement.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Stating that the government built the railroads directly.

  Put it right: Clarify that the government passed the Pacific Railroad Act to provide incentives (land and money) to private companies to build the railroads.

• Ignoring the impact of the railroads on Indigenous peoples.

  Put it right: Include the detrimental effects on Plains Indians, such as the slaughter of the buffalo, when discussing the significance of the railroads.

• Confusing the Pacific Railroad Act with the Homestead Act.

  Put it right: Ensure you distinguish between the act that funded the railroads (Pacific Railroad Act) and the act that provided land to settlers (Homestead Act), though they worked together.

Exam tips

• Link the Pacific Railroad Act to the broader context of the US Civil War, noting that the departure of Southern states allowed Northern politicians to pass the act.
• Use the concept of 'manifest destiny' to explain the government's motivation for supporting the transcontinental railroad.
• Discuss the symbiotic relationship between the railroads and homesteaders: railroads needed settlers to buy land and use the trains, while settlers needed railroads for transport and supplies.