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: -Less than two years later, almost 90 percent of the Central Pacific workforce was Chinese; the rest were of European-American descent, mostly Irish. At its highest point, between 10, 000 and 15, 000 Chinese were working on the Central Pacific, with perhaps as many as 20, 000 in total over time.

Detailed explanation-3: -Chinese laborers made up a majority of the Central Pacific workforce that built out the transcontinental railroad east from California.

Detailed explanation-4: -Workers of the Central Pacific Railroad: Initially, they took five-year stints in the mines, after which they prospected or accepted jobs as laborers, domestic workers, and fishermen.

Detailed explanation-5: -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.