Asa Whitney was a very successful merchant and one of the first backers of an American transcontinental railway. Asa became notorious as an importer of French goods first, and Chinese goods afterwards. After his trip to China, Whitney became convinced of the importance of establishing trade between the two countries, and he realized that a transcontinental railroad would make this a reality. Although none of his plans were ever accepted, Whitney lived long enough to see the transcontinental railroad being completed.
