Chapter 18 The Western Frontier 1858-1896

Sec. 1 The Mining Booms Discoveries of gold and silver brought thousands of fortune seekers to the West. Key terms: lode, “Pikes Peak or Bust”, vigilante, subsidy, Transcontinental Railroad. Essential Question: How did the rush to find gold & silver lead to the development of new communities in the west?

Mining is Big Business 1858 - Gold discovered on the slopes of Pikes Peak – Colorado Rockies – What was the prospectors slogan? Most gold in underground lodes required expensive equipment – soon mining companies replaced the lone miner. Comstock Lode – How much gold and silver came from the Comstock lode? What boomtown sprang up around Comstock?

Virginia City, Nevada

The Mining Frontier Boomtowns were mining camps that turned into towns - lively but often lawless. Vigilantes often dealt out their own form of justice. Women brought stability to boomtowns. Many “booms” were followed by “busts” – boomtowns turned into ghost towns. Mining frontier became part of American industry providing raw material for manufacturers. Frontier areas around boomtowns eventually became states – When did Colorado, North & South Dakota, Washington & Idaho become states?

Railroads Connect East & West Western mines operated far from industrial areas in the east. Gold & Silver had little value unless they could reach factories, ports & markets. Stagecoach & wagons couldn’t move goods fast enough - Railroads could & did – RR network expanded between 1865 & 1890. RR construction was supported by large government subsidies. Much of the land was obtained by treaties from Native Americans

Spanning the Continent Two companies accepted the challenge of building the transcontinental railroad – The Union Pacific and the Central Pacific. Central Pacific hired Chinese laborers & the Union Pacific relied on Irish & African American Workers. Construction completed on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point in the Utah territory.

Effects of the Railroad Brought thousands of workers to the west Boosted the steel industry, coal producers, railroad car companies, & construction companies flourished Carried settlers’ agricultural goods to market Brought wave of new settlers to west – farmers & ranchers Changed the way people measured time – standard time zones