Connection #1 links Westward Expansion to the Transcontinental Railroad. This relationship is primarily cause and effect. Westward expansion, a policy driven by Manifest Destiny, was the U.S. government's goal to extend the nation’s borders across North America. However, achieving this required new transportation methods, as vast distances separated the coasts. The construction of the transcontinental railroad (completed in 1869) was the solution, facilitating the movement of people, goods, and resources across the country. It enabled settlers, farmers, and miners to move west more efficiently and opened up new economic opportunities. At the same time, the railroad supported government policies that promoted settlement, such as the Homestead Act. It also played a significant role in altering the lives of Native Americans, leading to displacement and the eventual decimation of buffalo herds, which were central to their livelihood. Thus, the transcontinental railroad was both a product of and a driving force behind westward expansion.

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Answer 1

Connection #1 shows how Westward Expansion is linked to the Transcontinental Railroad. Westward Expansion was about the U.S. wanting to stretch its land across North America, driven by the belief in Manifest Destiny. However, moving people and goods across such large distances was hard without better transportation. The Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, made this easier by allowing people, farmers, and miners to travel to the West more quickly. It also opened up new job opportunities and supported government actions like the Homestead Act, which encouraged people to settle in these areas.

At the same time, the railroad changed life for Native Americans. Many were pushed off their land due to the new settlers, and the railroad contributed to a decline in buffalo populations, which were essential to Native American life. So, the Transcontinental Railroad was both a result of people moving west and a big reason why it happened.