Choo-Choo-Changes: Examining the Effects of the Transcontinental Railroad
Chinese railroad workers, circa 1868
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- Standardization of Time
- Economic Connections
- The Destruction of Native American Culture
Chinese railroad workers, circa 1868 10,000 Chinese laborers worked for the company. The Union Pacific Company depended heavily on Irish immigrants for its labor force. The companies’ decision to hire immigrants from these two countries marked the beginning of a wave of immigration from both China and Ireland. While both immigrant groups faced an enormous amount of prejudice and discrimination (which we will examine more closely in the coming weeks), their arrival and integration into American society forever changed the cultural landscape of the United States. Standardization of Time 
When it’s 2:30 PM in Waterford, CT, what time is it in Boston, MA? If you said “2:30” you would be correct. Waterford and Boston are each located in the eastern time zone, so they share the same clock. This was not always the case. In fact, before the completion of the transcontinental railroad, each town determined its own time based on the position of the sun in the sky. This was called “local time”. In today’s society, our lives operate according a schedule measured by the clock. In 1786, the average town had about 4 clocks. Time was measured not by the clock, but by daily routines. As clocks became cheaper to produce in the 1830s and 1840s, they became more commonplace. However, time still varied from town to town. Noon in Waterford, CT was not at the same time as noon in Boston, MA (in fact noon in Waterford, may have been different from noon in Montville!). All of this made it very difficult for railroad lines to schedule trains traveling across the country (i.e. “the train departs at 1PM….but when is 1PM?). To solve this problem, the railroad companies set up “standard time”. It was a system that divided the United States into 4 time zones. The system went into effect in 1883, though many Americans resisted the change. The New York Herald published an article in 1883 stating that standard time “goes beyond the pursuits of men and enters into their private lives…” Many people felt that the standardization of time stripped towns of their individuality. As a result, Congress did not end up making standard time official in 1918 (when most of the public accepted the idea). 
I wonder what time it is across the street? Economic Connections The transcontinental railroad created an economic connection between the east and west coasts. Businesses on both sides of the country were able to work together more easily. It helped the country to use its resources more efficiently and laid the foundation for the “regional interdependence” that was helped the United States’ economy to be so strong and stable over time. The railroads carried raw materials from the west, such as lumber and livestock, to the Midwest, where it could be processed and then shipped east where it could be turned into manufactured goods. Additionally, people no longer had to live near waterways. Americans became less reliant on the physical geography of the country for transportation. It allowed cities like Denver, Colorado (population of 2,603 in 1860) to grow rapidly (population of 106,713 in 1890). The Destruction of Native American Culture The migration west had a final, devastating effect on Native Americans. The transcontinental railroad brought thousands of people to the central part of the country, where most Native Americans had been driven. Once again, Native Americans were forced onto smaller and smaller tracks of land. Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe led an unsuccessful attack against the American government in the west. He said of the incident, “I only ask the Government to be treated as all other men are treated. Whenever the white man treats the Indian as they treat each other then we shall have no more wars.” In 1887, the U.S. Government passed the Dawes Act in hopes of encouraging Native Americans to give up their traditional ways of life and integrate themselves into white society. The government believed that if Native Americans were to assimilate themselves into white society, that there would be no more tensions between them and white settlers. The Dawes Act dismantled reservations and divided up the land individually amongst tribe members. Native American children were forced to attend schools where they learned to be a part of “white culture”. The schooling often left Native American children confused (given that they were taught that their culture was inferior). Native Americans continued to face prejudice and discrimination despite these changes that were all sparked by the transcontinental railroad. 
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