Farmerettes float in the Independence Day Parade, New York City
The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930)
A National Archives Foundation educational resource using primary sources from the National Archives
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View the full document here: https://docsteach.org/document/family-quarters-for-silver-employees-each-house-accommodates-48-families-red-tank-canal-zone/
Housing was segregated and decidedly unequal since “colored” laborers (Panamanians, African American and clacks from the Caribbean, East Indians, and Chinese) lived in unscreened quarters along unpaved, rutted roads. Over time, some improvements were made in workers’ housing, notably for African Americans who constituted a special category of “silver” employees.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Panama Canal.
National Archives Identifier: 6120320
Full Citation: Family Quarters for Silver Employees, Each House Accommodates 48 Families, Red Tank Canal Zone; 1920; Records of the Panama Canal, Record Group 185. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/family-quarters-for-silver-employees-each-house-accommodates-48-families-red-tank-canal-zone/, November 10, 2026]
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