Changes

==History==

==History==

===Philosophy of railroading===

===Philosophy of railroading===

According to den Otter (1997), as products of the [[Enlightenment]], Canadians believed in economic and moral progress, and shared the technological optimism of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Liberalism. Modernizers had upon a "mission" to "civilize" (or conquer) the wilderness for the expansion of British trade, commerce, and culture.  The Canadian market itself was always much cmaller than the nearby American market, which Canadians sought to exploit.  They adopted American technology to escape British financial and military control. At the same time, because they rejected [[Republicanism, U.S.|American democratic values]] and were content with Britain's elite social and political institutions, Canadians resisted incorporation into the U.S. and envisioned an independent transcontinental nation, one politically distinct and economically competitive with the United States, but never entirely independent from America's larger market opportunities. Unfortunately, metropolitan rivalries between Montreal, Halifax, and Saint John caused Canadians to build more railway lines per capita than any other industrializing nation, even though they had neither sufficient capital resources, nor freight and passenger traffic to make all of their schemes pay. Over time, internal competition for resources forced Canadians to demand centralization and state intervention to support their expansionist plans, a situation that pitted Canadian regions against each other as urban entrepreneurs sought closer ties with either Britain or the United States.  

According to den Otter (1997), as products of the [[Enlightenment]], Canadians believed in economic and moral progress, and shared the technological optimism of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Liberalism. Modernizers had upon a "mission" to "civilize" (or conquer) the wilderness for the expansion of British trade, commerce, and culture.  The Canadian market itself was always much smaller than the nearby American market, which Canadians sought to exploit.  They adopted American technology to escape British financial and military control. At the same time, because they rejected [[Republicanism, U.S.|American democratic values]] and were content with Britain's elite social and political institutions, Canadians resisted incorporation into the U.S. and envisioned an independent transcontinental nation, one politically distinct and economically competitive with the United States, but never entirely independent from America's larger market opportunities. Unfortunately, metropolitan rivalries between Montreal, Halifax, and Saint John caused Canadians to build more railway lines per capita than any other industrializing nation, even though they had neither sufficient capital resources, nor freight and passenger traffic to make all of their schemes pay. Over time, internal competition for resources forced Canadians to demand centralization and state intervention to support their expansionist plans, a situation that pitted Canadian regions against each other as urban entrepreneurs sought closer ties with either Britain or the United States.  

===Creating lines===

===Creating lines===

The first Canadian railway, the Champlain and Saint Lawrence Railroad, was opened in 1836 near Montreal. Heavy expansion of the rail system did came after the Guarantee Act of 1849 guaranteed bonds on all railways over 75 miles. This led to rapid expansion of railways; there was excessive growth as uneconomic lines were built since the government guaranteed profits.  This proved disastrous for government finances, however, and the Canadas were all but bankrupted by the subsidies. The largest rail project of this period was also a disaster. The [[Grand Trunk Railway]] linking Montreal to Sarnia, Ontario, was finished in 1860, but was mired in debt. In exchange for bailing out the company the government escaped its guarantee on the railway bonds.

The first Canadian railway, the Champlain and Saint Lawrence Railroad, was opened in 1836 near Montreal. Heavy expansion of the rail system did came after the Guarantee Act of 1849 guaranteed bonds on all railways over 75 miles. This led to rapid expansion of railways; there was excessive growth as uneconomic lines were built since the government guaranteed profits.  This proved disastrous for government finances, however, and the Canadas were all but bankrupted by the subsidies. The largest rail project of this period was also a disaster. The [[Grand Trunk Railway]] linking Montreal to Sarnia, Ontario, was finished in 1860, but was mired in debt. In exchange for bailing out the company the government escaped its guarantee on the railway bonds.