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Chinese Sojourn Labor and the American Transcontinental Railroad

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  • Scott Alan Carson

Abstract

This paper considers the institutional arrangements and labor market forces that interacted in the construction of America's transcontinental railroad. The demand for Chinese laborers on the transcontinental railroad was a product of a complex set of relationships, including the transaction costs of turnover costs, labor queuing and demand-side learning. Institutions that facilitated the supply of Chinese workers included the Chinese Six Companies. The influences of external factors, such as the discovery of gold in California, construction of America's transcontinental railroad, and racial prejudice are also considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott Alan Carson, 2005. "Chinese Sojourn Labor and the American Transcontinental Railroad," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 161(1), pages 80-102, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:mhr:jinste:urn:sici:0932-4569(200503)161:1_80:cslata_2.0.tx_2-l
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cloud, Patricia & Galenson, David W., 1987. "Chinese immigration and contract labor in the late nineteenth century," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 22-42, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Scott A. Carson, 2018. "In Support of the Turner Hypothesis for the 19th Century American West: A Biological Response to Recent Criticisms," CESifo Working Paper Series 6969, CESifo.
    2. Scott A. Carson, 2015. "Mexican and Hispanic Net Nutrition in the 19th Century American West," CESifo Working Paper Series 5571, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • J70 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - General
    • N20 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - General, International, or Comparative
    • N21 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913
    • N25 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Asia including Middle East

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