Theodore D. Judah, the engineer of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, became obsessed with the desire to build a transcontinental railroad. In 1860 he approached Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker, leading Sacramento merchants, and soon convinced them that building a transcontinental line would make them rich and famous. The prospect of tapping the wealth of the Nevada mining towns and forthcoming legislation for federal aid to railroads stimulated them to incorporate the Central Pacific Railroad Company of California. This line later merged with the Southern Pacific. It was through Judah's efforts and the support of Abraham Lincoln . . . that the Pacific Railroad finally became a reality. The Railroad Act of 1862 put government support behind the transcontinental railroad and helped create the Union Pacific Railroad, which subsequently joined with the Central Pacific at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869[.] — Library of Congress What was the ultimate motivation behind the development described in the text? (1 point) Responses expanding economic opportunities for American Indians in the United States expanding economic opportunities for American Indians in the United States realizing the Manifest Destiny of the United States by connecting the East and West Coasts realizing the Manifest Destiny of the United States by connecting the East and West Coasts enabling the United States to spread democracy throughout the Americas enabling the United States to spread democracy throughout the Americas improving relations between the United States and European powers through trade expansion
realizing the Manifest Destiny of the United States by connecting the East and West Coasts
The ultimate motivation behind the development described in the text was realizing the Manifest Destiny of the United States by connecting the East and West Coasts.
The ultimate motivation behind the development described in the text was realizing the Manifest Destiny of the United States by connecting the East and West Coasts. The individuals involved, such as Theodore D. Judah and the leading Sacramento merchants, were driven by the desire to build a transcontinental railroad that would bring them wealth and fame. They recognized the potential economic benefits of tapping into the wealth of the Nevada mining towns and saw the opportunity to capitalize on forthcoming legislation for federal aid to railroads. By incorporating the Central Pacific Railroad Company of California and later merging with the Southern Pacific, they aimed to create a rail connection spanning the entire country. This motivation aligns with the concept of Manifest Destiny, which was the belief that it was the destiny of the United States to expand its territory from coast to coast.
