Question

question 6 of 10

what law called for the federal government to aid in the building of a transcontinental railway?

a. transcontinental act
b. dawes act
c. pacific railway act
d. homestead act

Explanation:

Identify the core question

The question asks for the specific federal law that authorized government aid, including land grants and government bonds, to construct a transcontinental railroad.

Evaluate the options

• Transcontinental Act: This is a distractor and not a historical piece of legislation.
• Dawes Act: Passed in 1887, this act focused on the federal distribution of communal Native American reservation lands into individual allotments.
• Pacific Railway Act: Passed in 1862, this landmark act authorized the federal government to provide land grants and financial subsidies to support the construction of the transcontinental railroad.
• Homestead Act: Passed in 1862, this act provided public land grants to individual settlers to encourage western migration and farming.

Determine the correct choice

The Pacific Railway Act of 1862 is the correct law that directly funded and aided the building of the transcontinental railway.

Answer:

• (A) Transcontinental Act
• (B) Dawes Act
• (C) Pacific Railway Act (Correct answer)
• (D) Homestead Act