The present capital building was built between 1870 and 1871. Between 1870 to 1893, the United States Mint operated the Carson City Mint, which produced gold and silver coins. During that period, numerous people arrived from China to work on the railroad. They were hired by the Union Pacific Railroad and shipped off to other parts of the country. The Chinese came under attack for being taken hostage when the U.S. government did not have enough soldiers to protect them. In 1973, Congress passed a law requiring the Treasury Department to establish a museum in Washington, D.C., to be called the "United States Coin Museum." The law also required that the museum be open by January 1, 1975. However, due to funding shortages, the department was unable to open the museum as planned. In 1974, President Ford signed into law an extension of time until 1980 for the establishment of the museum. He also created an advisory committee made up of individuals from different fields who would help him select objects for the museum's collection. It took more than 10 years but the United States Capitol Museum finally opened its doors to the public on February 9, 1994. The museum is located on the first floor of the United States Capitol Building and covers all aspects of American coinage and currency from 1776 to the present day.