This book provides a comprehensive history of the railway industry in the United States, focusing on the role of Congress in shaping its development. Haney discusses the political and economic factors that influenced the growth of this important industry, from the early 1800s to the present day. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in American economic history or the history of transportation. 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.