CooliesChinese Coolies came to the United States as free immigrants looking for work. Most of them, or their parents, arrived during the California Gold Rush (around 1848.) Others came over later as contract workers hired to build America's first transcontinental railroad. The Chinese workers were discriminated against and banned from many jobs. Since they had limited options, almost 20,000 Chinese workers agreed to work on the railroad, a job that few white people would take. The workers often had an incredible work ethic, working from dawn until dusk even in bad weather for lower pay and longer hours than their white counterparts. This made them incredibly valuable as workers, but they faced a number of challenges due to the restrictions that less pay brings.
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The Transcontinental Railroad
In the 1850s, the government encouraged people to begin to move west. There was a lot of wide-open space ready to be claimed, and people were tempted with the idea of owning their own land. It was a difficult trip that took months if they were able to survive. The horse-drawn wagons pioneers traveled in were at risk of breaking down in dangerous areas like mountain passes, dry deserts or barren plains. Other dangers like sickness and theft were also looming.
At the same time, the eastern part of the United States was connected by roughly 9,000 miles of railroad. Trains allowed people and goods to move more quickly and boosted the economy of the area. They would certainly be a quicker and safer way of travel across country and could bring the economic prosperity to the west.
The United States Congress gave the job to two countries. The Central Pacific Railroad started laying tracks in California and working towards the east in 1863. The following year, Union Pacific Railroad began in Omaha, Nebraska and headed towards the west since there was already tracks from Omaha to the East Coast.
Laying 1,900 miles of track was a challenging job, especially coming from the West. Workers needed to chop down trees, level the land, lay out the heavy metal rails and hammer spikes to hold them in place. They needed to dig tunnels through mountains, almost completely with hand tools. They blasted rocks at times, risking death from avalanches.
Workers from the East, who included freed slaves, Irish immigrants, and Civil War veterans, moved a lot quicker across the plains. They faced different challenges though: there were already Native Americans living on the land that they were trying to lay track on. The new towns settled by white settlers along the tracks ruined the way of life of the Native people. The Native American tribes resisted, and the United States government sent in soldiers to fight back. Unfortunately the Native Americans were ultimately overpowered and forced away from their land and eventually onto reservations.
Early in 1869, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific were finally close to each other in the Utah Territory. They settled on a location where the two lines would mean and the race began to see who would finish first. In April, the Central Pacific construction chief bet a Union Pacific official that his men could lay ten miles of track a day. They did it, puttin down 3,520 rails and 55,000 spikes in only 12 hours! By May 10, 1869 the railroad was complete and celebration ensued at the meeting point, Promontory Summit.
The transcontinental railroad allowed passengers to travel from coast to coast in about a week. Movement west surged, and the railroad boosted the economy of the nation. Trains were able to transport raw materials from the West to the East and vice versa. It united the nation, allowing it to become richer and more powerful. However, in spite of all the good it brought, the railroad was detrimental to some, Native Americans in particular.
At the same time, the eastern part of the United States was connected by roughly 9,000 miles of railroad. Trains allowed people and goods to move more quickly and boosted the economy of the area. They would certainly be a quicker and safer way of travel across country and could bring the economic prosperity to the west.
The United States Congress gave the job to two countries. The Central Pacific Railroad started laying tracks in California and working towards the east in 1863. The following year, Union Pacific Railroad began in Omaha, Nebraska and headed towards the west since there was already tracks from Omaha to the East Coast.
Laying 1,900 miles of track was a challenging job, especially coming from the West. Workers needed to chop down trees, level the land, lay out the heavy metal rails and hammer spikes to hold them in place. They needed to dig tunnels through mountains, almost completely with hand tools. They blasted rocks at times, risking death from avalanches.
Workers from the East, who included freed slaves, Irish immigrants, and Civil War veterans, moved a lot quicker across the plains. They faced different challenges though: there were already Native Americans living on the land that they were trying to lay track on. The new towns settled by white settlers along the tracks ruined the way of life of the Native people. The Native American tribes resisted, and the United States government sent in soldiers to fight back. Unfortunately the Native Americans were ultimately overpowered and forced away from their land and eventually onto reservations.
Early in 1869, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific were finally close to each other in the Utah Territory. They settled on a location where the two lines would mean and the race began to see who would finish first. In April, the Central Pacific construction chief bet a Union Pacific official that his men could lay ten miles of track a day. They did it, puttin down 3,520 rails and 55,000 spikes in only 12 hours! By May 10, 1869 the railroad was complete and celebration ensued at the meeting point, Promontory Summit.
The transcontinental railroad allowed passengers to travel from coast to coast in about a week. Movement west surged, and the railroad boosted the economy of the nation. Trains were able to transport raw materials from the West to the East and vice versa. It united the nation, allowing it to become richer and more powerful. However, in spite of all the good it brought, the railroad was detrimental to some, Native Americans in particular.