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Episode Description
Dr. Chris Merritt joins host Adam Camac to discuss the legacy of Chinese railroad workers on the transcontinental railroad in Utah and what we are learning about their work through archaeological investigation. Chris is an archaeologist who is Utah’s historic preservation officer. Chris and his team have been learning about Chinese railroad workers from a series of excavations along the Transcontinental Railroad site in Utah’s west desert, and they’ve been working with descendants of Chinese railroad workers to share cultural history and knowledge.
1:28 – Overview of the work of the guest (Chris Merritt) and his interest in the legacy of Chinese railroad workers on the transcontinental railroad in Utah
5:00 – The influence of the US Civil War on the construction of the transcontinental railroad, China in the 1860s, Utah in the 1860s
12:05 – Who the Chinese immigrants were who came to work on the railroad, background of these workers, their experiences after actually coming to Utah and starting to work on the railroad
19:07 – Recognition, if any, for the Chinese workers when the golden spike was driven into the ground on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah
22:23 – The area of Utah the railroad used to go through, the ghost town of Terrace, Utah
31:05 – Stories from Chinese railroad workers dealing with the maintenance of the railroad, how the Chinese Exclusion Act coming into law in 1882 affected these railroad workers
38:56 – Violence and attacks faced by Chinese railroad workers
43:21 – Artifacts and objects found in the fields during excavation projects in Terrace and other sites in Utah where Chinese railroad workers once lived
51:11 – Descendents of the Chinese railroad workers in Utah and the guest’s interactions with them
53:55 – Recommended resources, additional information about the contributions of Chinese railroad workers to the history of the United States
Resources Mentioned
Rails East to Ogden: Utah’s Transcontinental Railroad Story (Utah Historical Society)
Chinese Railroad Workers in Utah: Part 1 (YouTube)
Chinese Railroad Workers in Utah: Part II (YouTube)
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