Chapter 17 Section 1 Mining and Railroads Objectives Explain how the discovery of gold and silver affected the West. Describe life in the western mining

Chapter 17 Section 1

Mining and Railroads

Objectives

• Explain how the discovery of gold and silver affected the West.

• Describe life in the western mining towns.

• Examine how railroads spread and helped the West to develop.



Terms and People

• vigilante – self-appointed law keeper

• subsidy – grant of land or money

• transcontinental railroad – railroad line that spanned the continent



How did mining and railroads draw people to the West?

In 1865, the American frontier stretched from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.

Drawn by hopes for a new life, people moved west by the thousands.

west



The California gold rush of 1849 captured the American imagination.

Before long, miners were racing into the Sierra Nevada, the Rockies, and the Black Hills, searching for gold.

Gold!



In 1859, prospectors struck gold at a find that became known as the Comstock Lode.

ComstockLode

• located in Sierra Nevada

• contained both gold and silver

• was one of the world’s richest silver mines

• made Nevada a center of mining



After the Civil War ended, more and more prospectors rushed west. New discoveries seemed to be popping up everywhere.

Montana

Idaho

SouthDakota

Colorado

Alaska



With each new find, miners rushed to the site.

Others soon followed, bringing supplies and opening stores. Mining camps quickly grew from tent cities to boomtowns.



People from around the world poured into the boomtowns.

Women, too, joined the mining boom, making money by opening restaurants and other businesses.

Nearly half of the miners were foreign-born, from places such as Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain, and China.



Few prospectors, however, struck it rich. Mining underground was difficult and expensive. Many miners eventually sold their claims to large mining companies.

Profits

prospectors mining companies

ProfitsProfitsProfits

ProfitsProfitsProfits

ProfitsProfits

Profits



Many boomtowns grew so fast that they had no real government. Vigilantes often imposed their own form of justice.

As populations grew, some areas organized into territories subject to U.S. laws.

U.S. Territories

ColoradoDakotaNevadaArizonaIdaho

Montana



The mining boom helped create a railroad boom.

Before 1860, railroad lines ended at the Mississippi River.

To encourage westward expansion, the government gave subsidies to the railroads to build new tracks.

west



Many of the new lines led to the boomtowns of the West.



The railroads also began work to fulfill a longtime goal—to build a transcontinental railroad that would stretch from coast to coast.

Two railroads won the right to build from opposite directions, eventually meeting in the middle.

CentralPacific

UnionPacific



The Central Pacific headed east from Sacramento. The Union Pacific headed west from Omaha.



Bad weather and the rugged terrain made work difficult and dangerous.



It took thousands of workers and many years to complete the job.

Laborers came from many countries around the world—including China.



Finally, on May 10, 1869, the two lines met at Promontory, Utah.



The new railroad lines brought even more settlers west.

Several new states were soon carved from the rapidly growing region.

Nevada 1864

Colorado 1876

North Dakota 1889

South Dakota 1889

Montana 1889

Washington 1889

Idaho 1890

Wyoming 1890



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Chapter 17 Section 1 Mining and Railroads Objectives Explain how the discovery of gold and silver affected the West. Describe life in the western mining