A trio of Chinese immigrants hired to work on the transcontinental railroad run afoul of their racist and vindictive railroad Boss and are marked for death. While working in a hanging basket along the side of a mountain, their Boss cuts the rope and sends them tumbling to their death.
But the men amazingly survive the fall, discovered by a mysterious Mountain Man and nursed back to health. A bond forms between the group and they set out on the trail to not only get revenge on those who have personally wronged them but to stamp out any injustice they uncover along the way.
Gam Saan or Gold Mountain
When gold was discovered in California in the1840s it resonated not only across the United States but around the world. Pioneers from all over the globe packed up their meager belongings and headed for the Republic. The state also had it's first major influx of Chinese immigrants – nearly 25,000 came to America's shores to find a better life for themselves. They called the United States “Gam Saan” - Gold Mountain – and saw it as a shortcut to their wildest dreams.
While some Chinese immigrants did indeed find wealth, most only found a host of new problems. Seen as outsiders by natural American citizens, the immigrants were treated harshly, exploited and pushed to the margins of society. This shunning caused the Chinese to pull together and form “Chinatowns” in major cities along the Western coast. These small enclaves became a gateway for newly arriving immigrants could adjust to this new land while remaining safe among their own people.
As the gold boom died down and specific anti-Chinese laws hit the books, immigration slowed to a crawl. It seemed that the push to stop the flow of “those people” had succeeded...and then President Lincoln announced plans for a transcontinental railroad. The Central Pacific Railroad company – the western arm of rail construction – needed cheap, reliable and replaceable labor. Suddenly, the shunned Chinese seemed like a natural fit. Immigration ramped up again.
However, many Chinese immigrants soon discovered that all that glitters is not gold. Many fell prey to the lawless west, hundreds died anonymously during the building of the railroad and life as an outcast in a new country wore heavy on their heads. For those poor souls, the shine of Gold Mountain dulled tremendously.
But the men amazingly survive the fall, discovered by a mysterious Mountain Man and nursed back to health. A bond forms between the group and they set out on the trail to not only get revenge on those who have personally wronged them but to stamp out any injustice they uncover along the way.
Gam Saan or Gold Mountain
When gold was discovered in California in the1840s it resonated not only across the United States but around the world. Pioneers from all over the globe packed up their meager belongings and headed for the Republic. The state also had it's first major influx of Chinese immigrants – nearly 25,000 came to America's shores to find a better life for themselves. They called the United States “Gam Saan” - Gold Mountain – and saw it as a shortcut to their wildest dreams.
While some Chinese immigrants did indeed find wealth, most only found a host of new problems. Seen as outsiders by natural American citizens, the immigrants were treated harshly, exploited and pushed to the margins of society. This shunning caused the Chinese to pull together and form “Chinatowns” in major cities along the Western coast. These small enclaves became a gateway for newly arriving immigrants could adjust to this new land while remaining safe among their own people.
As the gold boom died down and specific anti-Chinese laws hit the books, immigration slowed to a crawl. It seemed that the push to stop the flow of “those people” had succeeded...and then President Lincoln announced plans for a transcontinental railroad. The Central Pacific Railroad company – the western arm of rail construction – needed cheap, reliable and replaceable labor. Suddenly, the shunned Chinese seemed like a natural fit. Immigration ramped up again.
However, many Chinese immigrants soon discovered that all that glitters is not gold. Many fell prey to the lawless west, hundreds died anonymously during the building of the railroad and life as an outcast in a new country wore heavy on their heads. For those poor souls, the shine of Gold Mountain dulled tremendously.
Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13523064@N03/
