Learning Objective:
You will be able to determine why the mining boom helped people to move westward.
Do Now: Map Skills
1. What kind of terrain were most of the gold of silver strikes made?
2. Was gold or silver discovered throughout the United States?
3. Was more gold or silver discovered in the United States?
4. What were some states that the mining boom took place in?
Direct Instruction:
I - Mining – Where did it take place?
California Gold Rush (1858) – Pikes Peak: Major discovery of gold found in this area.
Nevada (1859) – Carson River Valley: In addition to gold there was a large portion of silver that was being found as well.
Canada: Moving northward raised growing fears for Russia and the United States. Due to this Russia sold Alaska to the Unites states for roughly $7,000,000. At the time this was seen as a worthless purchase on the part of the United States.
Alaska (1897) – Klondike Gold Rush: Discovery in Canada’s Yukon Territory, which bordered Canada made many people move to Alaska on the prospect for finding gold.
II – Life in Mining Camps:
Mining Camps:· Cramped
· Crude
· Few Comforts
· Conflicts between ethnic groups (Irish, German, and Chinese)
After time Camps became towns:
As more families moved into the camps, many settlements turned into permanent communities. Soon after came law and order, schools, hospitals, and churches were built.
Mining as Big Business - New Techniques:
Hydraulic Mining: Miners used water pressure to wash away mountains of gravel and expose the minerals underneath
Mining as Big Business - New Techniques:
Hard-Rock Mining: Digging deep shafts into the rock to get at the ore (rock or stones) locked in veins (inside) of quartz (rock or stone).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk4wI_yE0Rc
Exit ticket/ summary
Why did gold mining bring families westward?
