The transcontinental railroad was a Republican achievement

GRAND OLD PARTISAN, 7/1/2009 by Michael Zak - The 1860 Republican National Convention, in its platform, called for building a railroad to the Pacific. ∴ On this day in 1862, the Republican-controlled 37th Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act, establishing the transcontinental continental railroad. The bill, written by U.S. Rep. Samuel Curtis (R-IA), was signed into law later that day by President Abraham Lincoln (R-IL). ∴ The man honored with driving the golden spike to complete the railroad was a Republican and former Governor of California, Leland Stanford. In 1856, Stanford had co-founded the California Republican Party. He would later serve in the U.S. Senate and found Stanford University.

About Michael Zak
Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country, showing office-holders, candidates and activists how they would benefit tremendously from appreciating the heritage of our Grand Old Party. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is his acclaimed history of the GOP from the Republican point of view. Each day, his Grand Old Partisan blog celebrates more than fifteen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. See www.republicanbasics.com for more information.