USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Central Pacific Railroad, which was tasked with constructing the western half of the Transcontinental Railroad, began hiring Chinese workers in 1864 after facing a labor shortage that jeopardized the railroad’s completion.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -The Central Pacific began laying track eastward from Sacramento, California, in 1863, and the Union Pacific started westward from Omaha, Nebraska, two years later. To meet its manpower needs, the Central Pacific hired thousands of Chinese labourers, including many recruited from farms in Canton.

Detailed explanation-4: -Building the Transcontinental Railroad: How 20, 000 Chinese Immigrants Made It Happen. At first railroad companies were reluctant to hire Chinese workers, but the immigrants soon proved to be vital.

Detailed explanation-5: -Altogether, the Central Pacific Railroad hired an estimated 12, 000 Chinese workers, some as young as 12. The Chinese workers, at that time the largest industrial workforce in American history, made up 90 percent of the Central Pacific’s total labor force.