the mining booms ch. 18.1. gold, silver, boomtowns 1858 more gold discovered in the west (pike’s...
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The Mining BoomsCh. 18.1
Gold, Silver, Boomtowns 1858
More gold discovered in the west (Pike’s Peak)
1859 50,000 prospectors headed to Colorado Most of the gold was deep underground
Most individuals made very little Companies had a better chance of getting
rich
Boom Comstock Lode
1859, Nevada’s Carson River One of the world’s richest deposits of silver
Gold strikes created boomtowns Virginia City, Nevada
Money that was made was spent quickly Gambling
Bust Many people came to the
boomtowns lured by the promise of prosperity
When the ore was gone, people would leave Boomtowns became ghost towns
The U.S. Expands West As gold and silver disappeared, people
mined: Copper Lead Zinc
These mining areas became states Colorado: 1876 North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington,
Montana: 1889 Wyoming and Idaho: 1890
Ranchers and FarmersCh. 18.2
Cattle Ranchers Spanish brought tough breed of
cattle known as Longhorns
These Longhorns spread across the state of Texas Texas was mostly an open range
Open Range: Not fenced or divided into lots
Railroads and Cow Towns Most of the markets for beef were
in the North and the East
1865: Missouri Pacific Railroad reached Kansas City, Missouri Texas cattle was herded from Texas
to Missouri and loaded onto trains to the cities in the North and the East
The Long Drive Long Drive: Herding of cattle 1,000
miles or more to meet the railroads Texas to Missouri Left in the spring 15 hours of riding/day
Cow Towns: Towns located on the route of the Long Drive near railroads Between the late 1860s-1880s, more than 5
million cattle moved north
Cowhands Dangers:
Violent storms Rustlers: Cattle-stealers Stampedes
Cowhands Civil War Vets African Americans Hispanics
Farmers Settle the Plains Why did people settle the Plains?
Railroads made the journey easier New laws offered free land Above average rainfall in the 1870s
The Homestead Act 1862 Gave 160 free acres to a settler who paid a $10
filing fee and lived on the land for 5 years
Homestead: Earn ownership of land by settling on it
Late 1870s: Thousands of African Americans took the journey from the South to Kansas “Exodusters” Left at the end of Reconstruction due to fear for
their safety in the South
