Transcontinental Railroad

When the United States of America was founded in 1788, it was bounded by its coast on the Atlantic Ocean.  However, with the acquisition of California in 1848 from Mexico, the USA was spread across North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.  This was the fulfillment of America's Manifest Destiny, from sea to shining sea. 

In the mid-1800s, travel between New York and San Francisco took 43 days by ship that went through the Isthmus of Panama or 198 days by ship that went around the tip of South America.  If you chose to go directly across the continent by horse or covered wagon, it took four to five months.

Transportation by train between New York and San Francisco would cut the travel time significantly.  As a result of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, travel from New York to San Francisco took only about six days.  

America's first transcontinental railroad consisted of 1,911 miles (3,075 KM) from the existing eastern railroad network terminal at Council Bluffs, Iowa to the Oakland Long Wharf on San Francisco Bay, California.  It was paid for through the purchase of federal government bonds authorized by Congress with the support of President Abraham Lincoln.    

The first transcontinental railroad opened for through traffic from Sacramento, California to Omaha, Nebraska on May 10, 1869 when the final spike (nicknamed the golden spike) was tapped into the rail at Promontory Summit, Utah.  The historic event was delayed for two days because of rain.  It had been scheduled for May 8, 1869 (153 years ago).

The Western Pacific Railroad built 132 miles (212 KM) of tracks from Oakland to Sacramento, CA.  From there, the Central Pacific Railroad constructed 690 miles (1,110 KM) of tracks to Promontory Summit.

From the east, The Union Pacific Railroad built 1,085 miles (1,746 KM) of tracks westward from Nebraska to the meeting point in Utah. The meeting of the two railroads made transporting passengers and goods coast to coast considerably quicker and less expensive.

Roughly 15,000 Chinese immigrants were hired by the Central Pacific Railroad to lay tracks, a dirty and dangerous job.  Unfortunately and unfairly, they were treated worse by their employer (wages and working conditions) than they treated their white counterparts.

There was an historic photo taken on May 10, 1869 when the eastern and western railroads were joined together at Promontory Summit.  Hundreds of workers are seen standing on the two railroad engines that were standing face to face.  

None of the workers in the photo are Chinese.  This was the final insult.