略论19世纪美国西部开发中的铁路建设

A Brief Comment on the Railway Construction of American Western Development in the 19th Century

美国西部开发是其１９世纪资本主义经济发生巨变的一个重要组成部分，而铁路建设在美国西部开发中是一个不容忽视的关键性因素。一方面，铁路的出现是与美国西部开发的规模和速度的需要相适应的一种交通运输革命，其高速增长和举世罕见的建设成就得益于美国政府特殊的资助政策，以及在铁路修筑过程中多元的投资主体和强烈的发展意识；另一方面，铁路的建设和发展也对西部开发起到独特的先导作用．对西部乃至全国社会经济的发展产生举足轻重的影响。分析研究１９世纪美国西部开发中的铁路建设不仅具有学术价值，而且对于正在实施西部大开发战略的我国来说，更有其现实意义。

American Western development is one of the most important components in its capitalist economic development, while railway construction is a crucial factor that should not be neglected. On the one hand, the emergence of railways was a communications and transportation revolution that met the demand of scale and speed in American Western development, and its rapid increase and incredible constructive achievements benefit from the special sponsoring policy of the American government, as.well as multiple bodies of investments and strong consciousness of developments. On the other hand, the construction and development of railways also played a particular and dominant role in the Western development, and had an important influence on the social economy of the Western and the whole country. Therefore, analyzing and studying the American railway construction of Western development in the 19th century have not only academic values, but also practical significance to China, which is carrying out the strategy of the great Western development in China.