In the nineteenth century, travelling across North America could take months. Many people didn't like making the long and difficult journey. In 1875, work began on a railroad across Canada. It would need thousands of workers and would take ten years to build.

Imagine you are a Chinese worker on the Iron Road. Write a letter home to China explaining the what life is like and the dangers of the work. Read the letter to your family. Would they want to work on the railroad.