The Frontier ExperienceThe Frontier ExperienceMiningMining

Mining in the WestMining in the West

The first people to realize the importance of the frontier were miners, those who searched for minerals such as gold and silver and dug them out of the earth. They discovered that there were rich deposits of minerals west of the Mississippi River. When one of these deposits was discovered, it was called a strike.

Mining in the WestMining in the West

A deposit of gold was found near Sacramento, California, in 1848. This discovery led to the California Gold Rush of 1849. Thousands of people rushed to that area from all over the United States and from around the world. There were other gold strikes in Colorado in 1858.

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Mining in the WestMining in the West

In 1859, silver was found in Nevada. This large deposit of silver was called a lode, because it was found between rocks. Since the silver was found by Henry Comstock, his strike was called the Comstock Lode. More silver was later found in Idaho.

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Mining in the WestMining in the West

Gold was also discovered in the Black Hills of present day South Dakota in 1874. Unfortunately, the gold was on the Sioux Indian Reservation, and the Sioux were not happy about prospectors rushing onto their land. You’ll see a little later how this discovery of gold led to conflicts and wars with the Indians, one of the most famous conflicts being Custer’s Last Stand. Gold and silver were not the only valuable minerals discovered on the Great Plains. Copper was found in 1881 in Montana.

Mining TownsMining Towns

When a mineral strike happened, large numbers of people poured into the region. Towns sprang up almost overnight. As long as the mining was good, it was called a boom. When the minerals ran out, it was called a bust. A boom town was a mining town that flourished as long as minerals were being dug out from the area. Once the minerals were gone, these mining towns were quickly deserted, and what was left was called a ghost town.

Mining TownsMining Towns

Many towns continued to grow, and the mining industry became important in the expansion of the United States. Miners were quickly followed by merchants and other professionals. The huge jump in population allowed several territories to quickly move to statehood.

Between 1864 and 1890, five new states were carved out of the Great Plains and surrounding areas.

Nevada-1864 Idaho-1890

Colorado-1876 Wyoming-1890

Montana-1889

The RevolverThe Revolver

Traveling on the frontier was not always safe, and the people living in mining towns didn’t always have an organized system of law. Would-be settlers faced wild animals, bandits (thieves), and Indians. For protection, most men carried one or more revolvers. The revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1837, and it was one of the most popular weapons carried by western travelers. This type of gun was much smaller than a shotgun and could be held in one hand. It could shoot six times before having to reload, so it was commonly called a six-shooter. In the West, gun fighting and shootouts were ways of settling disputes.

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The Impact of MiningThe Impact of MiningInitially, mining was done by a lone prospector with a mule and a pan or a pick axe. But this small time mining soon gave way to mining as a big business. All the surface materials were quickly taken. Getting the greatest riches required large machines and a great deal of capital (money invested in a business). The mineral wealth of the Great Plains often ended up in the hands of eastern bankers.The mining industry added to the nation’s wealth by providing gold and silver. At this time, all paper money (currency) was supposed to be backed by gold. The more gold the country had, the more paper money the banks could issue. Silver was mostly minted into coins. So mining improved the supply of money needed by growing businesses.

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

1. Gold was discovered in California in the year ____________.

Answer: 1848Answer: 1848

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

2. In 1859, a large vein of silver was found in Nevada. It was called the ___________.

Answer: Comstock LodeAnswer: Comstock Lode

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

3. Gold found in the Black Hills of South Dakota was located on the ________ Indian Reservation.

Answer: SiouxAnswer: Sioux

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

4. The precious metal of __________ is important in conducting electricity.

Answer: copperAnswer: copper

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

5. Western towns that sprang up almost overnight were called _______ towns.

Answer: boomAnswer: boom

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

6. Deserted mining towns were called _________ towns.

Answer: ghostAnswer: ghost

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

7. The _________ was a popular new invention used by western travelers as a weapon.

Answer: revolverAnswer: revolver

Practice QuestionsPractice Questions

8. Mining increased the _________ of the nation by adding gold and silver to banks.

Answer: wealthAnswer: wealth