The Celestial's Railroad

From Paragraph 1:
Why did the U.S. government agree to build a transcontinental railroad in 1861?

• To promote tourism across the country

• To increase the number of gold mining jobs

• To connect California with the eastern U.S. by rail

• To allow pioneers to return to the East

From Paragraph 2:
What event took place on May 10, 1869?

• The Chinese workers were officially honored

• The final rail was laid to complete the transcontinental railroad

• The first train departed from Sacramento

• The workers went on strike

From Paragraph 3:
Why were Chinese workers called “Celestials”?

• Because they were considered heavenly workers

• Because China was called the Celestial Kingdom

• Because they wore celestial-colored uniforms

• Because they arrived by ship named Celestial Star

From Paragraph 4:
Why did many Chinese men originally come to America?

• To build the railroad

• To work in factories

• To search for gold during the California gold rush

• To escape religious persecution

From Paragraph 5:
What was the plan agreed on by railroad tycoons in 1863?

• To build a coast-to-coast rail line from Omaha to Sacramento

• To stop all railroad construction until more gold was found

• To employ only American workers

• To use only Chinese workers from the beginning

From Paragraph 6:
Why did Charles Crocker decide to hire Chinese workers?

• Because they demanded higher pay

• Because he couldn't find enough workers due to the gold rush

• Because they had railroad experience

• Because they volunteered in large numbers

From Paragraph 7:
How did the first group of 50 Chinese workers respond to the hostile environment?

• They set up camp calmly and worked without complaint

• They protested and left

• They reported the threats to the police

• They refused to work

From Paragraph 8:
What made the cliffside work so dangerous for the Chinese workers?

• The heat

• The risk of falling during dynamite blasts

• The weight of the iron rails

• The wild animals in the area

From Paragraph 9:
What task did Chinese workers do before other workers laid the iron rails?

• They cleared the forest

• They operated trains

• They prepared and leveled the land for the track

• They built towns near the track

From Paragraph 10:
Why did the Chinese workers stay healthier than others at high altitudes?

• Because they ate familiar, healthy food they selected themselves

• Because they used modern medicine

• Because they traveled less

• Because they took more breaks