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Introduction
The creation of trains and the subsequent network of railroad tracks that followed offered the US the opportunity to expand at a previously unimagined rate. As the East and West united, the flow of people, goods, and ideas bolstered the economy and brought new riches to the US. People's sense of time had an entirely new meaning. Along the way, though, the idea of white supremacy and lack of concern for others, like the Indians and Chinese, were highlighted through policy and cruel treatment. -
The First Steam Locomotive
Peter Cooper finished America's first steam locomotive in 1830. Nicknamed the Tom Thumb, it was the first American-built steam locomotive to operate on a common-carrier railroad. The Tom Thumb carried passengers and goods along 13 miles of track between Baltimore and Ellicott's Mills, Maryland. By the end of the year, similar locomotive routes existed in New York and South Carolina. -
Indian Removal Act
President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law on May 28, 1830, which gave him the power to grant land west of the Mississippi River in exchange for Native American land within current US borders. This new law laid the foundation for American expansion westward, which was carried out through the construction of railroads. Since Americans could take control of western land more easily, they were able to inhabit this new land and eventually use it to construct new railroad tracks. -
Homestead Act
Signed by President Abraham Lincoln, this act permitted any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the US government, 160 acres of surveyed government land. Any land owned by these citizens had to be farmed and cultivated. A majority of this land was along railroad routes, allowing for easy pickup and transportation of goods. Lastly, this also disposes of land from Indian tribes, further enforcing American capitalist society and Manifest Destiny. -
Pacific Railway Act
Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act, which allowed for the construction of a transcontinental railroad in the United States through authorizing the issuance of government bonds and the grants of land to railroad companies. Allowing this transcontinental railroad to be constructed allowed the US to be connected from the East Coast to the West Coast and paved the way for future transcontinental railroads. -
Tunnel Excavation Expands in the United States
Central Pacific crews began the slow job of hand-drilling 12 tunnels through the Sierra Nevada, averaging a few inches through the rock a day. By year's end, approximately 6,000 Chinese men worked in the tunnels. They constituted up to 80% of the workforce throughout the project. By early 1867, almost 14,000 Chinese laborers were working under these brutal conditions on the Central Pacific, contrasting the workforce of the Union Pacific, which was mainly Irish immigrants and Civil War veterans. -
Chinese Labor Strike
In this strike, 3,000 Chinese laborers, who were employed by the Central Pacific Railroad, went on strike to demand equal wages, as the white workers were paid double. In protest, Chinese workers went back to their camp. Workers demanded $40 a month instead of $35. They requested a reduction in hours to 10 per day. Americans stopped delivering food and provisions to the mountain where the Chinese camps were located, and after 10 days of rationing, the Chinese returned to work. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Ignoring the crucial role Chinese immigrants played in constructing the California infrastructure, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, banning further immigration of Chinese laborers into the United States for 10 years. Congress extended this Act in 1892 and again indefinitely in 1904. Between 1850 and 1880, the Chinese population in the U.S. grew from 7,520 to 105,465 - this 14x increase in population and growing prejudice against the Chinese contributed to the passing of this act. -
Railroad Safety Appliance Act
Although railroads provided many benefits to the American people, working conditions on railroads were among the most dangerous of any occupation (20,445 deaths in the prior 10 years). In order to decrease workplace injuries and deaths, Congress enacted this law, which established many addition safety regulations. Railcars were required to be equipped with basic safety features like automatic couplers and air brakes, one of many new measures to help increase safety. -
Pullman Strike
Laborers at Pullman Palace Car Company finally got too fed up with extreme hours and low pay. Since 35% of Pullman's workforce were members of the American Railway Union, this group helped organized a strike. This strike turned into a nationwide event, as over 125,000 workers around the country joined in protest. These strikes got so out of control that the US government had to interject, marking the first time a federal injunction was necessary to halt a strike. -
Completion of Four Additional Transcontinental Railroads
By 1900, four additional transcontinental railroads were constructed that connected the Eastern US to the West. At this point, most of the main railroads for years to come were put in place, and an 30 year period of tremendous railroad expansion ended. From 1871 to 1900, 170,000 miles of railroad were constructed. That is almost four times greater than the 45,000 miles that were constructed prior to 1871. -
Conclusion
Americans experienced a new sense of time as railroads connected the domestic United States like never before, making supply chains and travel more efficient. While railroad expansion throughout the West was responsible for the economic and cultural growth of the United States, it was at the expense of immigrant Chinese workers and Native Americans. Many governmental acts and labor strikes occured in order to make the railroad system as safe and equitable as possible. -