Which two railroad companies connected the East and West by laying tracks across the country?

Which two railroad companies connected the East and West by laying tracks across the country?

• A. Santa Fe and Central Pacific
• B. Transcontinental and Central Pacific
• C. Central Pacific and Union Pacific
• D. Erie Canal and Union Pacific

Answer: (C)

The key idea is how the first connection across the continent was achieved. Two railroad companies worked from opposite ends to meet and complete a continuous line. The Union Pacific built westward from Omaha, Nebraska, while the Central Pacific pushed eastward from Sacramento, California. They joined at Promontory Summit in Utah in 1869, creating the first transcontinental railroad. That is why Central Pacific and Union Pacific are the correct pair. The other options mix in a canal or a non-existent or incorrect railroad partner, which doesn’t reflect how the cross-country line was actually built.

The key idea is how the first connection across the continent was achieved. Two railroad companies worked from opposite ends to meet and complete a continuous line. The Union Pacific built westward from Omaha, Nebraska, while the Central Pacific pushed eastward from Sacramento, California. They joined at Promontory Summit in Utah in 1869, creating the first transcontinental railroad. That is why Central Pacific and Union Pacific are the correct pair. The other options mix in a canal or a non-existent or incorrect railroad partner, which doesn’t reflect how the cross-country line was actually built.