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What is the transcontinental railroad?

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Quick Answer

The transcontinental railroad was the U.S. railway line that connected the East Coast rail network to the Pacific Coast. It was completed in 1869.

The Full Story

The first U.S. transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit in Utah, where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met. It transformed travel, trade and migration across North America by reducing cross-country journeys from months to days or weeks. The project involved thousands of workers, including many Chinese laborers on the western portion. It became a landmark achievement in 19th-century engineering and national expansion.

Key Facts

1.Completed on May 10, 1869
2.Met at Promontory Summit, Utah
3.Chinese laborers played a major role in construction

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"The rail line that stitched a continent together"