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In June 1867, two thousand Chinese Transcontinental Railroad workers participated in a general strike (a collective action) for a week along the Sierra Nevada range, demanding better working conditions. By 1867, the Central Pacific Railroad workforce was composed of 80-90% Chinese laborers and the rest were European-Americans. The workers in the Chinese project were literate and well organized, but left no written records. Despite the lack of written account from the Chinese workers, it is apparent from reports in the press and from the railroad bosses that the Chinese workers were hard-working, peaceful, and that the strike was carried out with no violence. The strike was organized in June, at the time of the Summer Solstice, and carried it out a way that strongly reflected Confucian values. The strike lasted a little over a week, and the workers returned peacefully to work.

Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford

The main historical record for the Chinese Labor Strike of 1867 has come from a Stanford University initiative called the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. This repository covers the Chinese Labor Strike of 1867 and includes research materials, a bibliography, a digital materials repository, exhibits, a curriculum guide and oral histories with railroad worker descendants.

References

1. "Chinese Labor / Transcontinental Railroad". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
2. Fuchs, Chris (Jun 21, 2017). "150 Years Ago, Chinese Railroad Workers Staged the Era's Largest Labor Strike". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
3. Shashkevich, Alex (Apr 18, 2019). "Stanford project gives voice to Chinese workers who helped build the Transcontinental Railroad". Stanford University. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
4. ^ Ryan, Patrick Spaulding (Mar 22, 2022). "Saving Face Without Words: A Confucian Perspective on The Strike of 1867". SSRN Working Paper. SSRN 4067005. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
5. Gandhi, Lakshmi (8 October 2021). "The Transcontinental Railroad's Dark Costs: Exploited Labor, Stolen Lands". History.com. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
6. Stanford University. "Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project". Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
7. Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. "Research publications and accessible resources provided by the Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project at Stanford". Stanford University. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
8. Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. "Bibliography". Stanford University. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
9. Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. "CRRW Digital Materials Repository Galleries". Stanford University. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
10. Stanford University (14 October 2019). "Exhibit of Li Ju Photographs Earns Awards". Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
11. Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Communication (2018-09-18). "Curriculum Guide". Retrieved 2022-05-17.
12. Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project. "Oral Histories and Interviews". Stanford University. Retrieved 2022-05-17.

• June 1867 events
• 1867 in rail transport
• 1867 in California
• First transcontinental railroad
• General strikes in the United States
• Chinese-American history
• Chinese-American culture in California
• 1867 labor disputes and strikes
• 1860s strikes in the United States