The following information is an excerpt of a brochure created specifically for the Sesquicentennial celebration of the Transcontinental Railroad at the Golden Spike Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah in May 2019. Members of the Student Docent Cultural Ambassador Program created the brochure and a presentation on the Chinese Railroad Workers. Click here to view the brochure and the presentation.
This is a story of thousands of Chinese immigrants who came 150 years ago to build the railroads of America. Lured by promises of good jobs and wages and citizenship, they were sent to work on nearly impossible tasks, chipping though solid granite with hand tools. Their courage, resourcefulness, creativity, determination and selflessness were challenged countless times. The Chinese workers suffered greatly, but steadfastly met the extreme challenges of the railroad work. Let us always remember their sacrifices and their contributions, seldom acknowledged, to the growth and advancement of America. The achievements of the Chinese railroad workers will endure as one of the greatest projects in the history of mankind.
Introduction to the Transcontinental RailroadThe construction of North America's first transcontinental railroad was a six-year process from 1863 - 1869, that was primarily worked on by Chinese and Irish immigrant workers. Chartered in 1862, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroad companies took on the challenge of connecting the western United States to the east for the first time. Upon completion, the railroad stretched from Sacramento, California to Omaha, Nebraska. | Early Immigrants to America - BackgroundThe Central Pacific Railroad (CPR) was desperate to find workers for the railway construction. They looked worldwide and, amazed by the Great Wall of China, looked at labor prospects in southern China. The men came predominately from Canton and Siyi, which included the four counties of Taishan, Kaiping, Xinhui, and Enping. At the height of the railroad construction in 1868, over 12,000 Chinese workers made up more than 90% of the CPR workforce for the transcontinental railroad. During this period, the Chinese laid down hundreds of miles of rails. CPR enticed thousands of Chinese workers to come to the US with overblown promises of jobs and riches. What the Chinese found were back-breaking and dangerous work, extremely long hours, low pay, unsanitary conditions, and racial discriminatory practices. |