Why did americans "dream" of linking the atlantic and pacific ocean bg rail , as thw author states?

Linking two continents together through a railway is called the Transcontinental Rail System. Americans wanted this to happen because they wanted to explore the beauty and riches of the Pacific. It would open up unhabited areas of the continent. Open up opportunities for trade and commerce. It would allow them to explore for resources that they can tap into.The transcontinental rail would make trade and travel easier and more accessible.

the second significant cause of the great migration was the desire of black southerners to escape segregation, known euphemistically as jim crow. rural african american southerners believed that segregation - and racism and prejudice against blacks - was significantly less intense in the north.