Ch. 18 Westward Expansion Mrs. Manley

I. The Mining Booms A. Discoveries of gold & silver drew thousands of fortune seekers to the West B. After the California Gold Rush ended, miners found gold in Pikes Peak in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. C. Gold was deep in underground lodes. o Lode- rich streaks of ore sandwiched between layers of rock

D. In 1859, Carson River Nevada, a rich lode of silver was struck called Comstock Lode. E. Gold strikes created boomtowns. o Boomtown- towns that grew up almost overnight around mining sites. F. Vigilantes- citizens of boomtowns who took the law into their own hands; justice without a judge or jury.

National Archives Boomtown

G.Women in boomtowns opened businesses, worked as cooks, laundresses, cooks, or entertainers. Some founded schools and churches to help make community safer. H.Mining booms were followed by “busts” and boom towns turned into ghost towns. I.After the gold and silver rush, people began mining copper and other metals. J.Frontier areas around boomtowns became states- Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho.

K.Railroads connect the Eastern and Western U.S. L.Railroads were used to transport gold & silver to markets and also to bring supplies to miners. M.The railroad network grew rapidly! N. The govt. gave railroad companies subsidies- financial aid land grants. Much of the land was taken from Native Americans. O.The U.S. needed a transcontinental railroad to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. P.The Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads competed to build the railroad.

Q. The Central Pacific hired Chinese laborers to build tracks. R. The Union Pacific hired Irish and African American workers S. Working conditions were harsh and they received little pay. T.The Transcontinental Railway was completed on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point in Utah. U.Leland Stanford drove a golden spike to join the two railroads.

V. Effects of the Railroad 1.) Brought workers to the West 2.) Carried goods West and metals East 3.) Coal production, railroad manufacturing and construction companies boomed. 4.) Towns sprung up along rail lines 5.) Time Zones- were set up to standardize time.