ABSTRACT
Railroads enabled imperial powers to consolidate control of territories and economies. Though native labor was often used to construct roads and railroads, in some cases labor was imported for this purpose. Such was the case in North America, where as the trade in African slaves was nearing its end, a trade in Chinese coolies sprung up to replace it. Coolies were contract laborers who were paid a very small wage for a defined period of work. They were transported to various destinations around the world, including South America, the Caribbean, and southern Africa, where they also worked on plantations and in mines. Some coolies succeeded in returning home after their contracts expired. Many, however, died of disease, injury, or malnutrition in the miserable working conditions they encountered. Still other coolies made their homes in their new locations at the end of their contracts.
