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Chapter 18 – The Frontier West (1865-1914)
Objectives:
1. Describe how mining changed the West.2. Identify the builders of the first cross-country railroad.3. Describe how railroads helped open the west.
Lesson 1 – The Mining Frontier
• Western mining boom began with the California Gold Rush of 1849.
• 1859 – Sierra Nevada – Comstock Lode
• Lode – a rich vein of gold or silver.
• Henry Comstock “owned” the mine.
• Comstock Lode was one of the world’s richest silver mines.
HenryComstock
Mining Boom
• Comstock Lode attracted miners from across the U.S. and other countries.
• The mining camp grew into Virginia City, NE.
• Denver & Colorado Springs grew up near rich gold mines.
• Major gold strikes were found in the Black Hills of SD.
Effects of the Boom
• Thousands of people came west to supply miners’ needs.
• Women ran boarding houses, laundries, and restaurants.
• Boom towns could become ghost towns.• Problems created by surge of miners:
– Mines/towns polluted.– Forests near towns were cut down.– Forced Native Americans from their land.– Foreign miners were ill-treated.
Most mining in the West was taken over by large companies.
Spanning the Country by Rail
• Railroads were needed for supplies.• Fed. Gov. encouraged railroad building out west by
loaning money and giving land to railroad companies.• Transcontinental railroad – spans the continent.• Union Pacific Railroad – started in Omaha and ran
westward.• Central Pacific Railroad – started in Sacramento and ran
eastwad.• Companies hired immigrant workers, who accepted low
wages.• Central Pacific – China, Union Pacific – Ireland.• The two railways met at Promontory Point, north of Great
Salt Lake in Utah on May 10, 1869.
Railroads Bring Rapid Growth
• New settlements• Enabled people, supplies, & mail to move
quickly and cheaply.• Cities & Towns sprang up.• Nevada – 1864• Colorado – 1876• North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, &
Washington – 1889• Idaho & Wyoming - 1890