Question

question 9 of 10

which statement about the transcontinental railroad is true?

a. the transcontinental railroad was fairly inexpensive to build and maintain.
b. the transcontinental railroad led to the signing of a peace treaty between the united states and mexico.
c. the transcontinental railroad did not require the assistance of the united states government.
d. the transcontinental railroad could not have been built without the labor of immigrant workers.

Explanation:

Analyze the options regarding the Transcontinental Railroad

• Option A states it was fairly inexpensive to build and maintain. This is false; it was an incredibly expensive and capital-intensive engineering project.
• Option B states it led to a peace treaty between the United States and Mexico. This is false; the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) and the Gadsden Purchase (1853) occurred before the railroad's completion in 1869.
• Option C states it did not require government assistance. This is false; the Pacific Railway Act provided massive federal land grants and government bonds to finance construction.
• Option D states it could not have been built without the labor of immigrant workers. This is true; thousands of Chinese immigrants (working for the Central Pacific) and Irish immigrants (working for the Union Pacific) provided the essential labor force.

Answer:

• A. The Transcontinental Railroad was fairly inexpensive to build and maintain.
• B. The Transcontinental Railroad led to the signing of a peace treaty between the United States and Mexico.
• C. The Transcontinental Railroad did not require the assistance of the United States government.
• D. The Transcontinental Railroad could not have been built without the labor of immigrant workers. (Correct answer)