Day 136: Golden Spike National Historical Park, Promontory Summit, Utah

📌APIA Every Day (136) -The Golden Spike National Historical Park, located in Promontory Summit, Utah, commemorates the completion of the first transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. This historic event marked the unification of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, creating a continuous railway line across the United States. The driving of the "golden spike" during the ceremony symbolized this significant technological achievement and recognized the critical contributions of immigrants, particularly the Chinese laborers, who played an essential role in the construction.

Chinese laborers were vital to the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, forming the majority of its workforce. Initially hired as an experiment in 1865 due to labor shortages, their recruitment faced significant resistance from widespread anti-Chinese sentiment. Despite this opposition, the Central Pacific Railroad found Chinese workers to be highly effective, leading to the hiring of more laborers directly from China. By 1867, Chinese workers made up 80 to 90 percent of the Central Pacific workforce and were primarily tasked with the arduous and dangerous work of tunneling through the Sierra Nevada mountains and laying tracks.

Despite their critical contributions, Chinese laborers faced significant pay disparities and harsh working conditions compared to their white counterparts. Earning $31 to $35 per month, less than the $40 paid to white workers, they also had to cover their own living expenses. These injustices led to a major strike on June 25, 1867, involving around 5,000 Chinese workers demanding better pay and conditions. Although the strike was ultimately unsuccessful due to Central Pacific superintendent Charles Crocker cutting off their food supplies, it highlighted the crucial role of Chinese laborers in the construction process. Their efforts were indispensable to the successful completion of the transcontinental railroad, celebrated with the golden spike ceremony on May 10, 1869. The Golden Spike National Historical Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as a National Park in 2019.

LEARN MORE:

National Park Service: Utah: Golden Spike National Historic Site

National Park Service: Golden Spike National Historical Park NRHP Form

National Park Service: Chinese Labor and the Iron Road

Intermountain Histories: Golden Spike National Historic Site and the Chinese Arch

NPR: Descendants Of Chinese Laborers Reclaim Railroad's History

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