Chinese and the Iron Road: Building the Transcontinental

UC San Diego Library
UC San Diego Library
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Published 2016-02-08
"The Chinese and the Iron Road: Building the Transcontinental," is a traveling exhibit that was produced by the Chinese Historical Society of America and the Chinese Railroad Workers Project at Stanford University. The exhibit tells the undocumented story of thousands of Chinese migrants, who played an instrumental role in the construction of the nation’s first transcontinental railway in the 1860s. It was on display From January 5 - February 29, 2016 in Geisel Library on the University of California, San Diego campus.
All Comments (9)
  • @zhubajie6940
    Overall an excellent video. One issue though (around the 12-minute mark). The migration of the Chinese in the 1840s and 50s to America was not due to American trade. It was the Taiping Rebellion, the British's Opium War reparations and their continuance of selling opium. Regarding China's woes of the 1840s and 50s and subsequent migration to the U.S., it is inaccurate to lump the United States in with Great Britain. The United States in the Treaty of Wanghia forbade trade in opium (if found smuggling, Qing law applied to them) and only asked for tariffs charged other nations, extraterritoriality since Qing judiciary used torture nor acknowledge any bill of rights (to disagree with that would be in denial), and right to buy land in 5 treaty ports. At that time, legitimate trade was America's only interest with China.
  • @key2827
    Thank you for offering a viewpoint that students are rarely exposed too. I appreciate your caution against the typical "Chinese contribution" narrative.
  • @joeis17
    This is a cool video thanks for the post.
  • @barnard-baca
    Interesante presentación e intento de visitar un capítulo fascinante en la historia del vecino país.
  • @conmanumber1
    Hi from Oamaru, south island New Zealand. around pre 1925 my father was asked to migrate to the Californias by scouts whom visited his Canton southern China ancestoral villiage. by that time a lot of males already migrated decades prior apparently to Golden Mountain. Dad opted to go to Sydney Australia instead then after 2 years (?) being there whom he said was a hellhole he opted to come to New Zealand at age 16 in 1925. however in San Francisco the Gins,Yans and Chens have Gin Benevolent Society there which looked after and help support family there. however when I asked distant relations there why are they there they said their forbears migrated as railroad workers.
  • @ResidualSelfImage
    The Chinese railroad workers were paid less than the American railroad workers.  During most of the Transcontinental Railroad construction - the Union Pacific restricted Chinese workers to unskilled work (with one task - using nitroglycerin and dynamite) until the last dozen or so miles when Crocker made a bet with the Central Pacific owners with respect to if the Chinese workers could do skilled rail road work...
  • @velavanlaack9134
    This’s the least talk about contribution of Chinese immigrants