Built in the 1860's, the Transcontinental Railroad was the first railroad to run across the United States. It took many years of hard work to complete the railroad, but the effects were enormous. The railroad connected the East and West Coasts of the U.S. by improving communication and making it easier to travel or ship goods across the country. However, not all of the railroad's effects were positive. By creating an easier way to move across the country, the Transcontinental railroad increased the flow of settlers onto Native American land in the Midwest. As you will learn more about on this website, the Transcontinental Railroad was one of the major steps that brought this country to the industrialized nation that it is today.