On May 10, 1869, a corporate leader swung a silver hammer at the Golden Spike ceremony in Utah and missed completely. It was the finish line for thousands of immigrant workers who had spent years laying track through brutal winters, avalanches, and deadly explosions. James Brown looks at what those workers actually gave to get two rail lines across America.
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Transcripts
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It's American rewind.
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They swung heavy hammers and blasted through solid rock.
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Thousands of immigrant workers built the transcontinental railroad, facing brutal winters, avalanches, and deadly explosions.
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Irish laborers pushed the tracks west from Nebraska, while Chinese laborers pushed the tracks east from California.
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,:
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A corporate leader raised a silver hammer to drive the final ceremonial golden spike into the final railroad tie.
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He swung the hammer and missed the spike completely.
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A regular track worker quickly stepped in and hammered it home.
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A telegraph operator told the nation what happened.
