How did federal government encourage railroad companies to construct railroads?

Answer 1

this is because the transcontinental railroad would connect the east and west. This would encourage people to settle west and develop the land there. The government lent the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroad companies millions of dollars to build the transcontinental railroad.

Hope this helped

they could also make profits of the railroad

Answer 2

Rails made local transit reliable and westward expansion possible for business as well as for people. realizing how important railroads were for setting the west and developing the country, the government made huge grants and loans to the railroad companies.

Answer 3

In 1814 after the Treaty of Ghent major eastern cities sought to capture trade of the expanding west. Railroads first appeared in America in the 1820's. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was completed by 1831 and the acceptance of railroads came quickly. By 1840 New England and Mid Atlantic states had 2,083 miles of track, seven southern states had 636 miles and the Northwest had 89 miles. In 1847 Daniel Webster claimed the railroad "towers above all other inventions of this or the preceding age." Many Western lines received federal land grants to help in construction and between 1850 and 1871 the railroads received more than 131 millions acres of land for nearly 19,000 miles of line. All land grants roads were required to give reduced rates for federal traffic and these savings to the government were roughly equal to the value of the land grants.

Answer 4

Because They want the Citizens of USA to move to West.

Answer 5

By making land grants which would cause them too sell their land too settlers raising enough money too build RRs

-answered by: Harley russell^^

Answer 6

It would carry goods to the east

Answer 7

cool