XIX. An Era of Change in the West

B. Miners and Railroaders

1. The Mining Boom

a. Gold and silver strikes-Comstock Lode- A lode is a rich vein of gold or silver. 1859 Sierra Nevada Mts. Henry Comstock. Later, Mexican workers take “Danged Blue Stuff.” One of the richest silver mines in the world.
b. Boom towns and ghost towns-Boom towns sprang up where a strike had been discovered. Merchant move in to supply miners, Saloons open to entertain miners. Telegraph office. Ghost towns develop as a result of the mines drying up. No miners no need for stores and saloons.
c. Impact of the boom
1) The surge of miners into the west created problems.
(a) Polluted clear mountain streams, cut down forests for wood buildings, forced Native Americans off the land.
(b) Foreign miners were often treated unfairly. Mobs drove off Mexicans, Chinese. Very few got rich.
2) Governing the mining frontier
(a) Vigilante-self appointed law enforcers who tracked down outlaws and punished them usually without a trial. (Judge, Jury, and Executioner).
(b) 1861 Colorado, Dakota, and Nevada were organized into territories. Idaho and Arizona in 1863. Montana in 1864.

2. The Railroaders

a. Spanning the continent.
1) Subsidy- financial aid or a land grant from the government.
2) Transcontinental railroad 1863
(a) Union Pacific- Built railroad from Omaha Nebraska westward.
(b) Central Pacific- Built railroad from Sacramento California eastward.
b. Immigrant workers-
1) The Central Pacific brought thousands of workers from China.
2) The Union Pacific hired newcomers from Ireland.
3) African Americans and Mexican Americans also worked for each line.
c. Impact of the railroads per 4, 8
1) The Central Pacific and Union Pacific met at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 1869. Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific, hammered a golden Spike into the rail that joined the two tracks and united the country.
2) Railroads brought growth and new settlement all across the West. People, supplies, and mail could move quickly and cheaply across the plains and mountains.
3) Settlement sprang up wherever rail lines went. The largest towns and cities developed where major railroad line met. Per 9
4) Nevada became a state in 1864, Colorado in 1876, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington in 1869. Idaho and Wyoming entered the Union in 1890.