Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Logan Olfert
History 30
Mr. Alexander
December 1st
Olfert 1
The building of the Canadian Pacific Railway started with a dream by the first Prime Minister of Canada, John A. Macdonald. This railway would connect the vast areas of Canada and help transport people from the East and West. Building this railway would also be a great hand in moving new immigrants from the East coast to the West. After getting re-elected in 1872, Macdonald and the conservatives decided to begin construction on the railway. There were many problems during the construction of the railway such as; dangerous working conditions, finding workers and building track on certain terrains.1 Being a worker for the Canadian …show more content…
"The Chinese railway workers lived in camps, sleeping in tents or boxcars. They did their own cooking over open outdoor fires. They mainly ate a diet of rice and dried salmon, washed down with tea. With their low salaries they could not afford fresh fruit and vegetables, so many of the men suffered from scurvy (a painful disease caused by a diet without vitamin C).”2 These camps were very cramped, living conditions were poor and there was a shortage of food. After the workers put down enough tracks “the Chinese workers would take down their tents, pack their belongings and move everything to the next camp, often hiking over 40 kilometers each time.” 2
One large issue with constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway was getting the workers to build it. “In contrast to many white laborers’ opinions and attitude, wealthy contractors and employers possessed an entirely different image of Chinese workers. They valued and supported the use of these
Olfert 3
workers, mainly for their cheap labor.”3 Most Chinese workers were payed $0.75 - $1.25 per day and still had to pay for their food, cooking and camping gear, compared to the White workers who were payed $1.50 –$2.50 per day and didn’t have to pay for these things. The Canadian Pacific Railroad Company hired over 15 000 Chinese workers who were then shipped over to …show more content…
Canada's confederation on July 1, 1867 took four eastern provinces together to create a new country. As a part of the agreement, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were promised a railway to connect them with Quebec and Ontario. Building this railway took over $25 million dollars and is over 14 thousand miles long. This was made despite of unsafe working conditions, difficulty finding workers and building through harsh regions. Building the Canadian Pacific Railway was not an easy task to accomplish, but because of the hard work and dedication from all the workers that were involved, John A. MacDonald’s vision became a
Logan Olfert
History 30
Mr. Alexander
December 1st
Olfert 1
The building of the Canadian Pacific Railway started with a dream by the first Prime Minister of Canada, John A. Macdonald. This railway would connect the vast areas of Canada and help transport people from the East and West. Building this railway would also be a great hand in moving new immigrants from the East coast to the West. After getting re-elected in 1872, Macdonald and the conservatives decided to begin construction on the railway. There were many problems during the construction of the railway such as; dangerous working conditions, finding workers and building track on certain terrains.1 Being a worker for the Canadian …show more content…
"The Chinese railway workers lived in camps, sleeping in tents or boxcars. They did their own cooking over open outdoor fires. They mainly ate a diet of rice and dried salmon, washed down with tea. With their low salaries they could not afford fresh fruit and vegetables, so many of the men suffered from scurvy (a painful disease caused by a diet without vitamin C).”2 These camps were very cramped, living conditions were poor and there was a shortage of food. After the workers put down enough tracks “the Chinese workers would take down their tents, pack their belongings and move everything to the next camp, often hiking over 40 kilometers each time.” 2
One large issue with constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway was getting the workers to build it. “In contrast to many white laborers’ opinions and attitude, wealthy contractors and employers possessed an entirely different image of Chinese workers. They valued and supported the use of these
Olfert 3
workers, mainly for their cheap labor.”3 Most Chinese workers were payed $0.75 - $1.25 per day and still had to pay for their food, cooking and camping gear, compared to the White workers who were payed $1.50 –$2.50 per day and didn’t have to pay for these things. The Canadian Pacific Railroad Company hired over 15 000 Chinese workers who were then shipped over to …show more content…
Canada's confederation on July 1, 1867 took four eastern provinces together to create a new country. As a part of the agreement, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were promised a railway to connect them with Quebec and Ontario. Building this railway took over $25 million dollars and is over 14 thousand miles long. This was made despite of unsafe working conditions, difficulty finding workers and building through harsh regions. Building the Canadian Pacific Railway was not an easy task to accomplish, but because of the hard work and dedication from all the workers that were involved, John A. MacDonald’s vision became a