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Passes Legislation
Lincoln helps the construction of the transcontinental railroad pass legislation even though the civil war was right around the corner. -
Period: to
The Transcontinental Railroad
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Recruitment of Workers
Whites were hired, but they wanted a lot more money. The chinese provided cheap labor. The whites begged for the jobs as long as no chinese were hired, but the central pacific railroad hired the chinese anyway. -
Construction Begins
Work is devided between two companies. The Central Pacific got from Sacramento east, and The Union Pacific got from Omaha west. -
Work, Work, Work
The chinese were working in a tunnel around the clock, working until they collapsed. Nitroglycerin was brought in to aid the process. -
The "Homeric Winter"
Record amounts of snow brings progress to a halt. The resourceful chinese build a functioning city under the snow. -
The Great Tragedy
A whole camp of chinese workers is buried in snow over night. When the bodies are finialy found the corpses were still gripping their tools. -
The Strike
The Chinese quit working. The peacefull strike lasted only a week because they were starved back to work by the railroad. -
The Burlingame Treaty
This treaty marked the start of a friendly relationship with china. -
The Competition
The Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroad companies square off to see who could lay track faster. The Central Pacific railroad, with the help of the chinese, creamed the competition. -
Railway Completed
The nation is now conected from sea to shinning sea by the Transcontinential Railroad -
Homeless
After the railroad was completed the Chinese were left homeless and jobless. -
Jup Seen You
Years later after the completion of the railroad several former railworkers went back to exhume the graves of their deceased friends.
