Question

Who first tried to get Congress to create a transcontinental railroad?

Theodore Judah

Asa Whitney

Abraham Lincoln

Answer 1

Asa Whitney was the first to actively advocate for the creation of a transcontinental railroad. He presented his ideas to Congress in the 1840s, promoting the idea of a railway that would connect the eastern United States with the Pacific coast. Theodore Judah also played a significant role later in advocating for the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, while Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862, which laid the groundwork for the construction of the transcontinental railroad.