The first Gold Rush took place in Colorado. By 1859 Colorado was flooded with people hoping to find a new fortune in finding gold and silver. a Cherry Creek Emigrant Song jingles "The gold is there, 'most anywhere. You can take it out rich, with an iron crowbar, and where it is thick, with a shovel and pick, you can pick. you can pick it out in lumps as big as a brick." Although many people in the hope of changing their lives from rags to riches, many left disappointed.
How did miners work?
Hard-rock mining was involved. (To know what Hard-rock mining is, refer to the "Did You Know" section of this page. Tunnels were built and drilled. The work wasn't happy. It was dangerous. Respiratory illness was common. Rocks fall and kill workers, dynamite used wrongly caused many workers to fall to death or become seriously injured. With more injuries and death than the hope of finding riches, the dream of becoming rich and prosperous started to fade.
What was the Mining Boom?
The mining boom began in 1859 when prospectors traveling West of the region found silver and gold. Virginia City, Nevada quickly prospered in riches from the gold and silver and took delight in the economic boom.
Violent Times
Life wasn't always as glorious as the prospectors believed it would become if they left their home to risk their life for gold and silver. Camps sprang up around the west where possible mining was abundant. Most residents were men, but were from all nations of the world. A newspaper from that time quotes "Gere were congregated the most varied elements of humanity... belonging to almost every nationality and every status of life." With all of that testosterone, conflict arose, Most foreigners were discriminated and most Chinese even left the Rocky Mountain camps because they were treated with so much hostility. The life on camps were very violent. There was lots of tension between ethnic groups and fights often broke out because lack of law enforcement. Although, the money from the precious metals turned the camps into towns and the camps became more stable.
Did you Know?
The Carson River valley which is in present-day Nevada was flooded with people as Comstock Lode was discovered. Comstock Lode is one of the world's richest silver veins. In 20 years, it yielded $500 million worth of precious metals.
Klondike's gold rush in Klondike district of Canada's Yukon Territory (boarded Alaska) yielded $1 million worth in gold by the summer of 1897.
College - educated geologists and engineers located the ore and instructed companies on how to extract metals rather than guesswork on where the ores and metals were located.
Technology became more abundant and hydraulic mining was invented. This is high pressure water shot to blow away gravel and dirt to expose minerals. This method was no help to the environment because soil drained rivers and caused flooding.
A method called Hard-rock mining was the involvement of sinking deep shafts to obtain ore locked in veins of rocks.
Miners formed unions to help miners and family members of miners who were injured or died on the job.
DO YOU WANT TO MINE FOR A LIVING?
Apply today for Barrick Gold Corps. High wages and benefits are included. Call 555-MINE