Question

Describe the impact of the railroads in the development of the West; include the transcontinental railroad, and the use of Chinese labor.

Answer 1

http://www.answers.com/Q/Describe_impact_of_railroad_on_the_development_of_the_west

Answer 2

The railroads made life easier because they provided the ability to get farther faster and easier than canals; after the transcontinental railroad the number of spoiled edible goods that farmers shipped out significantly dropped, whereas before, by the time the food that was shipped off arrived at its destination it was spoilt due to the long ride and unstable temperatures; for a while we were lacking in jobs and the railroad provided work. It provided work specifically for non-whites and non-white immigrants, Irish immigrants, and poor whites, but while it was helpful in the fact that it provided jobs for these American citizens, it was a downfall too; we used the Chinese immigrants.

We treated them even worse than the rest of the non-whites and Irish; while the Irish worked their way to "becoming white", significantly when more switched to Christianity than the Catholic faith 75% of them had when coming to America, the rest of the immigrants were being treated just the same, and worse, whether it be with words, or by the government's hand, and this is was how the Chinese were affected worse than the others. Employers/the government were already paying non-whites and immigrants (although, as I said, Irish were working their way up) less money than the “natives” (white English Americans) but the Chinese were paid the worst. Employers quickly learned that the Chinese were working the hardest out of everybody who’d made their way to America, and they used that. They made the Chinese work longer hours, they made them do the hardest and dirtiest work (you’ll have to look this up, I think it was something like clearing away bedrock and stuff), and they paid them the least amount of money.

The railroad was also bad in some cases, though; putting industrial workers at a halt and making everyone take a second look at the government. I’ll let you figure that stuff out though, I think I’ve written enough here. (Hint: a lot of Acts were involved during this time period regarding the railroads.)