Congress and the Railroads : Coalition Politics and Federal Land Grants

In the antebellum period, American rail development began as a sub-national concern, with state and local governments primarily responsible for promoting and regulating railroads. However, this changed in 1850, with the first in a series of federal land grants to states for the express purpose of encouraging rail development. In this essay, I attempt to better highlight why federal involvement occurred when it did, especially in an era not known for federal intervention in the economy. I argue that federal intervention occurred due to local failures. Especially in the West, state governments were unable to sustain large rail development programs. With a lack of private capital and failed state programs, Western states' Congressional delegations quickly mobilized to push for national action. However, securing national assistance altered American rail development, replacing parochial roads with a more national system. By altering American space through Congressional bargaining, federal rail aid was a critical piece of national state building