US CITIZENSHIP TEST PREPARATION

Detailed explanation-1: -Teachers should understand that most of the people who worked to build the transcontinental railroad were immigrants from China and Ireland. These immigrants faced discrimination in the U.S., but their labor made this national achievement possible.

Detailed explanation-2: -During the 19th century, more than 2.5 million Chinese citizens left their country and were hired in 1864 after a labor shortage threatened the railroad’s completion. The work was tiresome, as the railroad was built entirely by manual laborers who used to shovel 20 pounds of rock over 400 times a day.

Detailed explanation-3: -One of the groups that literally took on the brunt of the work, were the Chinese laborers. Most of the Chinese workers, who numbered over 11, 000 by the end of the project, were employed by the Central Pacific Railroad building out of Sacramento, California. The use of Chinese labor started as an experiment.

Detailed explanation-4: -The building of the Transcontinental Railroad relied on the labor of thousands of migrant workers, including Chinese, Irish, and Mormons workers. On the western portion, about 90% of the backbreaking work was done by Chinese migrants.

Detailed explanation-5: -Despite this, over 150, 000 fought in the Civil War (1861–1865) and 8, 000-10, 000 labored on the transcontinental railroad. Seeking a better life, the Irish offered theirs skills and their strength, serving as engineers, managers, masons and laborers on both the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific railroads.