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Mining Booms. Chapter 18. Section 1. PIKE’S PEAK or BUST. 1858: Pike’s Peak or Bust (gold discovered Colorado Rockies) 1869: Transcontinental railroad links East and West 1883: Nation is divided into 4 time zones. Comstock Lode.
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Mining Booms Chapter 18 Section 1
PIKE’S PEAK or BUST 1858: Pike’s Peak or Bust (gold discovered Colorado Rockies) 1869: Transcontinental railroad links East and West 1883: Nation is divided into 4 time zones
Comstock Lode A rich lode of silver-bearing ore on the banks of the Carson River in Nevada, 1859 Henry Comstock
Carson River, Nevada People came from Mexico as well as China to mine their fortune.
Henry Comstock owned the land • Henry sold it for $11,000 & 2 mules • Worth hundreds of millions in gold/silver • Mining companies purchased the land
Life of a miner *vigilantes ruled the towns *lived in boomtowns- filled with violence (stealing and cheating were common) *Worked from daylight until dark *extravagant living and gambling (food, lodging, clothing) *fortunate miners - $2,000 a year *Women – sewed, cooked, entertained, started schools, churches, businesses - brought stability
BOOMTOWNS: • Built around mining areas • Wild and lawless • Vigilante groups ruled • Few women and children • “busted” when all ore had been mined • ( 30,000 to 4,000 inhabitants) ghost towns
Other metals found lead copper zinc
Mining Booms ghost town: Former mining town that became deserted vigilantes: citizens that took the law into their own hands. subsidies: Financial aid and land grants from the government
Transcontinental Railroad Railroads grew from 35,000 to 150,000 miles of track between 1865 and 1890. Omaha, Nebraska to Sacramento, California
Union Pacific – 1,038 miles Central Pacific – 742 miles
Railroad Workers Central Pacific 10,000 Chinese Union Pacific African Americans Irish
Effects of the Transcontinental Railway Towns sprang up along the rail lines Brought thousands of workers to the west Coal production, RR manufactures, construction companies grew Time Zones 1883 – U.S. divided into 4 zones