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The Mining Booms. Chapter 18, Section 1 Pgs. 528-532. Lode. A streak or abundance of minerals found underground sandwiched between two rocks . Ore. Rocks or minerals found underground that are worth money. Vigilantes.
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The Mining Booms Chapter 18, Section 1 Pgs. 528-532
Lode • A streak or abundance of minerals found underground sandwiched between two rocks
Ore • Rocks or minerals found underground that are worth money
Vigilantes • Someone who takes the law into their own hands and decides a person’s guilt or innocence without a trial.
Ghost Towns • What a boomtown becomes when the gold runs out and all the people leave the town deserted.
Subsidy • Money and/or land given to railroad companies by the government so that railroad construction would continue in the west.
Transcontinental • Stretches across the continent from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.
Pikes Peak • The discovery of gold started a rush to Colorado.
Comstock Lode • Discovery of silver-bearing ore started a rush to Nevada, giving birth to the boomtown of Virginia City.
Promontory Point • Place in Utah Territory where two railroads met to make the first transcontinental railroad in the United States and connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
Characteristics of Boomtowns • Very rapid growth in population and wealth • Expensive goods • Lawlessness and violence with vigilante justice • Few women
The Gold Rush • Gold strikes attracted thousands of people eager to earn their fortunes. • The rush also led to the creation of boomtowns.
The Mining Companies • Mining companies took the place of the individual miner because the gold was underground. • Expensive machinery, workers, and organization were needed to make a profit.
Gold and Silver Run Dry • After the gold and silver were depleted, mining continued for copper, lead, and zinc. • These raw materials could be sold to factories and markets for profit.
Subsidies • The federal government agreed to subsidize the construction of the transcontinental railroad because it would benefit everyone in the country.
Transportation and Mining • Transportation was needed to take the precious mineral away from the mines to the people who wanted them and to bring supplies to the miners.
Railroad Affects the Nation • The railroad brought thousands of workers to the West • Carried goods back and forth between East and West • Boosted the coal, iron, and steel industries • Led to the creation of new towns • Led to standardized time zones