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Primary Source :

Primary Source Chinese Labor & the Transcontinental Railroad: Primary Source Investigation

  • Grade Level 3rd-5th Grade
  • Time Period Late 1800s
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Introduction

This resource provides access to primary sources related to Chinese railroad workers, including oral histories, artifacts from workers’ camps, and payroll records. These materials help uncover the experiences of Chinese workers who contributed to the Transcontinental Railroad, offering insights into their daily lives, societal perceptions, and the challenges they faced.

Essential Questions

  • What can sources (e.g., photographs, advertisements, letters, news reports) from the past teach us about what life was like at the time?

  • What are things to notice in the sources to reveal that information?

  • What do they tell us about what people thought and valued?