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There was one more significant piece of legislation enacted in 1862:  the Morrill Land Grant Act, which established agricultural colleges by giving each state 30k acres times the state's number of congressman.

There was one more significant piece of legislation enacted in 1862:  the Morrill Land Grant Act, which established agricultural colleges by giving each state 30k acres times the state's number of congressman.

How did Congress accomplish so much in 1862?  You might recall that the Civil War was relatively inactive during that period.

How did Congress accomplish so much in 1862?  You might recall that the Civil War was mostly a stalemate between the Union and the Confederacy during that period.

Immigration into California from China caused many union laborers to object, because the Chinese would work more industriously and for less pay than union workers.  The Burlingame Treaty was signed between the United States and China in 1868, and it permitted unrestricted immigration by Chinese to U.S.  It was the Chinese immigrants who finally conquered the treacherous Sierra-Nevada mountain range and built the railroad over it, finally enabling completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869 (the final link was in Utah).  Afterward, factory owners as far away as Massachusetts would transport immigrants from California in order to break a strike by union workers (in other words, replace the local striking workers with the transported Chinese immigrants).

Immigration into California from China caused many union laborers to object, because the Chinese would work more industriously and for less pay than union workers.  The Burlingame Treaty was signed between the United States and China in 1868, and it permitted unrestricted immigration by Chinese to U.S.  It was the Chinese immigrants who finally conquered the treacherous Sierra-Nevada mountain range and built the railroad over it, finally enabling completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869 (the final link was in Utah).  Afterward, factory owners as far away as Massachusetts would transport immigrants from California in order to break a strike by union workers (in other words, replace the local striking workers with the transported Chinese immigrants).