The First Transcontinental Railroad, the Railroad Strike of 1877, the Annexation of Hawaii, The Federal Reserve System

The history of the United States of America is the foundation of the world we live in today. As George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Knowing the history of our country and how it helped shape us is vital for progress. The great country we live in was not formed overnight; it took many years of trial and error to get it right and we are still learning. There are many major events that have shaped our country, a few being the first transcontinental railroad, the Railroad Strike of 1877, the Niagara Movement, the annexation of Hawaii, and the creation of the Federal Reserve System.

The first transcontinental railroad led the way for the advancement in modes of transportation. Before this trains would only connect neighboring cities, mainly in the East. Also, travelling by train was dangerous as there was no system of standard signals. Construction on the railroad began in 1862 and did not conclude until 1869. By this time, there were rails from the East Coast to the Mississippi River and new rails had to be built between Nebraska and California. Since this project was too big for most private investors, government involvement was vital. Because of this, the federal government gave loans and land grants to two private companies: the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad. A majority of the workers in the Union were Irish immigrants while most of the Central workers were Chinese immigrants. Since the Chinese were considered the inferior, race they received less pay. They eventually went on strike and gained a small raise. Building the railroad required not only workers but blacksmiths, carpenters, engineers, masons, surveyors, and cooks. Eventually, after years ...

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...achieving a few civil rights victories, the movement suffered from a lack of funds and staff and was never able to attract enough support. The movement was disbanded in 1911. Although, this movement did not achieve much success, many of its members helped to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) which was much more successful. This interracial organization which was founded in1909, is still intact today and has helped pave the way for many African Americans, such as myself.

Works Cited

Cayton, Andrew, Linda Reed, et al. America: Pathways to the Present. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002. 155-299. Print.

"The First Transcontinental Railroad." The First Transcontinental Railroad. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2

"The First Transcontinental Railroad." The First Transcontinental Railroad. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013.013.