Final answer:
The transcontinental railroad spurred western expansion and commerce by enabling efficient transportation of resources and cattle, as well as supporting the rise of industries and large-scale agriculture but also resulted in the displacement of Indigenous populations and the alteration of their cultural landscapes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The transcontinental railroad had a significant impact on western expansion, commerce, and indigenous land in the United States. The completion of the railroad after the Civil War was a driving force behind the second industrial revolution, which included the growth of steel manufacturing and the spread of new technologies like the telephone and the light bulb. The railroad facilitated the transport of vast mineral resources from the western states, which helped to fuel industrial expansion.
With the advent of the railroad, large farms began to succeed through economies of scale, and mining and cattle became lucrative industries, shaping the economic landscape of the West. The railroad helped to transport wild steers from Texas, which could then be sold in Eastern markets. However, this led to rampant speculation in the cattle industry.
While the economic benefits were substantial, the expansion also had severe impacts on Indigenous peoples. As railroads made western lands commercially valuable, the federal government's practice of giving away lands to support construction led to the displacement of Native American populations, changing their way of life forever. As the Manifest Destiny belief proliferated, Euro-American settlers and their technology, such as railroads, were imposed on Indigenous cultures, leading to significant cultural and physical clashes that have left enduring scars on the country.