The history of the United States of America is the foundation of the world we live in today. As George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” » Knowing the history of our country and how it has helped shape us is essential to progress. The great country we live in was not formed overnight; it took many years of trial and error to achieve this and we are still learning. Many major events have shaped our country, including the first transcontinental railroad, the railroad strike of 1877, the Niagara Movement, the annexation of Hawaii, and the creation of the Federal Reserve. The first transcontinental railroad led the way. for the progress of modes of transport. Before that, trains only connected neighboring cities, mainly in the East. Additionally, traveling by train was dangerous because there was no standard signaling system. Construction of the railroad began in 1862 and was not completed until 1869. At that time there were rails connecting the East Coast to the Mississippi River and new rails were to be built between Nebraska and California . As this project was too ambitious for most private investors, government participation was vital. For this reason, the federal government provided loans and land grants to two private companies: the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad. The majority of Union workers were Irish immigrants while most of the Center workers were Chinese immigrants. Since the Chinese were considered an inferior race, they received less wages. They eventually went on strike and got a small raise. The construction of the railway required not only workers, but also blacksmiths, carpenters, engineers, masons, surveyors and cooks. Ultimately, after years...... middle of paper ...... winning a few civil rights victories, the movement suffered from a lack of funds and personnel and was never able to attract sufficient support. The movement disbanded in 1911. Although this movement was not very successful, many of its members helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which enjoyed much more successful. This interracial organization founded in 1909 is still intact today and helped pave the way for many African Americans, like me. Works Cited: Cayton, Andrew, Linda Reed et al. America: Pathways to the Present. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2002. 155-299. Print."The First Transcontinental Railroad." The first transcontinental railroad. Np, and Web. December 3, 2 “The first transcontinental railway”. The first transcontinental railroad. Np, and Web. December 3. 2013.013.