The Transcontinental Railroad could be defined as the most monumental change to occur in America in the 19th century. The railroad played an important role in westward expansion and the growth and development of the American economy (Gillon p.653). However, the construction of the transcontinental railroad may not have happened without the generous support of the federal government. The federal government provided land grants and financial subsidies to railway companies to carry out construction. The transcontinental railroad helped form America's industry and market economy and forever changed the American way of life. The Pacific Railroad Bill of 1862 began the project to build the transcontinental railroad. The Pacific Railroad bill provided 6,400 acres of public land and government loans ranging from $16,000 to $48,000 per mile of track completed to the Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad companies. (Pacific Railroad Bill) Following the Pacific Railroad Bill, a series of federal and state laws between 1862 and 1871 granted more than 130 million acres of public land and made additional monetary loans of approximately 150 million dollars for railway expansion. (Gillon p.652) There is no doubt that railway companies transformed business operations and encouraged industrial expansion. The raw materials needed to build the transcontinental railroad directly led to the expansion of the steel, lumber, and stone industries. (Gillon p.652) The railroad spurred the growth of manufacturing and agriculture, providing an efficient means of shipping raw materials and products across the country. Which in turn increased consumerism and introduced the paper medium which developed new societies. (Gillon p.652) Many in the railroad industry and these newly developed companies were accused of price fixing, giving illegal bribes, and challenging government regulations. (Gillon p.652-657) Thus, one could argue that the railroad industry and the titans it produced had a monopolistic approach to business that actually challenged the free market system. Ultimately, the transcontinental railroad changed the American landscape both physically and culturally. It formed the foundation of the industrial economy, it produced new business practices and a new style of managing a large workforce. He helped establish government regulations, taxation, and support for public transportation. Above all, it radically changed the American way of life, changing where people lived, how they shopped, how they ate, and how they worked..