How did railroads hurt West?
By 1890 new railroads had helped cattle ranching spread to most parts of the West. Long cattle drives were replaced by shorter drives on local trails. built in the growing East, while railroads were built in the West for the first time.
Why do so many Chinese work on the railroad?
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.
What things did railroads help move to the West?
In addition to transporting western food crops and raw materials to East Coast markets and manufactured goods from East Coast cities to the West Coast, the railroad also facilitated international trade. The first freight train to travel eastward from California carried a load of Japanese tea.
Where was the finish line of the transcontinental railroad?
The Transcontinental Railroad Was Completed at Promontory Point, Utah. By 1869, the two railroad companies were getting close to the finish line. The Central Pacific work crews had made their way through the treacherous mountains and were averaging a mile of track per day east of Reno, Nevada.
How tall was the tunnel for the transcontinental railroad?
The Summit Tunnel near Donner Pass required workers to chisel through 1,750 feet of granite, at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Besides battling the rock, the Chinese workers endured winter storms that dumped dozens of feet of snow on the mountains.
Where did African Americans work on the railroads?
African Americans and the Railroad: Gauley Bridge Depot; Gauley Bridge, WV. Three railroads opened the vast coalfields of Southern West Virginia to mining: the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway along the New and Kanawha rivers, the Norfolk & Western Railway through the Pocahontas coalfield, and the Virginian Railway into the Winding Gulf fields.
How many Chinese died in the construction of the transcontinental railroad?
Hundreds died from explosions, landslides, accidents and disease. And even though they made major contributions to the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, these 15,000 to 20,000 Chinese immigrants have been largely ignored by history.