The 19th Century "Railroad Boom"

Starting roughly around 1854 and continuing through the 20th century, North America experienced major changes in transportation. This time could best be described as the "Railroad Boom" due to the enormous amount of time and money spent to unite America's west coast through the use of railroads.
The connection of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific could very well be described as the highpoint in this early time of the railroad industry. The Central Pacific, lead by Leland Stanford, began construction on the west coast, in Sacramento, California. …