USA HISTORY

RECONSTRUCTION 1865 1877

TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Which part of the railroad did Irish immigrants build?
A
East to West
B
West to East
C
Either A or B
D
None of the above
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Most of the immigrants who built the Union Pacific railroad were from Ireland. The land that was crossed by the Union Pacific was always flat and easily traversed.

Detailed explanation-2: -On the East Coast, Native Americans, recently freed black people, and white laborers worked on the railroads. On the West Coast, many of the railroad workers were Chinese immigrants. New Jersey issued the first railroad charter in 1815.

Detailed explanation-3: -Chinese workers made up most of the workforce between roughly 700 miles of train tracks between Sacramento, California, and Promontory, Utah. 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.

Detailed explanation-4: -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-5: -By connecting the existing eastern U.S. rail networks to the west coast, the Transcontinental Railroad (known originally as the “Pacific Railroad") became the first continuous railroad line across the United States. It was constructed between 1863 and 1869.

There is 1 question to complete.