Chapter 17, Section 1
Mining & Railroads
Boom & Bust
There was a gold rush in 1849 in California. In 1859 2 Irish prospectors found gold. 20 years later the Com stock Lode produced $300 million worth of silver and made Nevada a center of mining. Tent cities began growing because of mines, many people started moving and merchants made money but selling goods and tools. People from Alaska moved to find gold and it was expensive to extract ore from underground. Many people sold their claims to large mining companies and by the 1800's western mining became very popular.
How It Happened
Many mining towns spread so fast the the law and order officials couldn't keep up. Many mining groups formed groups of vigilantes or people who are self appointed law keepers. As they started growing residents started seeking out real law officials such as sheriffs or marshals. Boom towns start out by 1 person finding gold then thousands more come. But once the ores are cleared out at the site everyone leaves and what once was a boom town is now a ghost town.
How Life Was Living In A Boomtown
Many tent cities started getting popular because of the exploration of many ores such as gold & silver. As many more came it soon became know as a boom town.Many people became merchants and other merchants moved very far so they could sell their tools. Some merchants became rich because peoples tools would break down and they wold need more so they rose the price and if the people wanted cheaper tools they would have to risk the chance of someone finding gold while they were away. Many of the people that went to search for gold were foreigners.
The Railroad Boom
Before 1860 Railroad Lines ended at the Mississippi RV. Subsidies are grants of land or money. Transcontinental Railroad is a railroad line that spanned the continent, also in 1869 a transcontinental railroad linked the East with the West. Railroads also brought 10,000 Chinese to the US. Railroads made population boom Nevada became a state in 1864, Colorado in 1876, N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Montana, and Washington in 1889. Idaho and Wyoming in 1890.
Last But Not Least
In conclusion gold mines were very important to many people because many people sold everything so they could have a chance to find gold. Many people got rich and many people got broke. And the railroads played a very important part in history because it connected the East to the West so we could communicate and trade would become much easier. It would also help people travel further and it improved the livability of people because many wagon trains decreased because it was more dangerous and they took the trains instead because it was fast and safer.