This book explores the political and economic forces behind the railroad land grants of 1850-1857, which provided millions of acres of public land to private railroad companies. The author discusses the controversies surrounding these grants, including accusations of corruption and favoritism, and the long-term impact of these policies on American history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.