During
the 19th century there were many changes happening in the United
States. The population and culture were
growing rapidly and was in need of a faster, more direct means of travel. The construction of the Transcontinental Railroad is one of the greatest achievements in American history. Some
say without the help of Chinese, the Transcontinental Railroad would not
exist. The
Chinese made the ultimate backbreaking contribution of blood, sweat, and lives
lost to create the largest railroad in the world. It is unknown exactly how many Chinese gave
their lives because their casualty rate was not counted or recorded. The
work accomplished made wire communication possible as well as shortening the
time in which it took to travel across the county from six months to a week.