1. Mining and Ranching in the West

2. Mining Discoveries
Starting with 1848 to 1849 – Gold: California Gold Rush
Discoveries of gold, silver and other metals in the West caused a massive migration to the West
Other discoveries:
1880s – Copper: Butte, Montana
1896 – Gold: The Klondike, Canada
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3. Types of Mining Video Clip: Mining
Mining was soon dominated by large companies who could afford the more effective methods like hydraulic and hard rock mining.
Video Clip: Mining

4. Panning

5. Types of Mining
Hydraulic mining – using water under pressure to strip away surface rock to expose the minerals beneath

6. Types of Mining Video Clip: Extracting Ore
Hard-rock mining – sinking a deep tunnel and extracting the gold directly from the rock usually by digging and blasting. Once brought to the surface, the rocks were crushed and the gold was separated out by using arsenic or mercury
Caused flooding as sediment deposited in rivers and surface erosion destroyed habitats
Released toxins into environment
Video Clip: Extracting Ore

7. Economic Impact: Provided jobs for men, though
most were very dangerous and
low paying (1 – 3 dollars per day)
Estimated 7,500 people died during the late 1800s gold rush
Discrimination common
Increased the supply of natural resources in the US
Monopolies formed as big businesses took over

8. Causes of the Cattle Boom:
The Industrial Revolution cases the Cattle Boom
Growth of cities / expanding population in the east increased demand for beef
Expanding middle class = money to buy better food products
New railroad routes through the West and inventions like the refrigerated freight car increased ability to ship meat

9. Open Range
The government supported ranching because it allowed grazing on public land known as “open range”
This access to free pastures made ranching profitable
Many large companies formed to take advantage of this offer
Invention of barbed wire in 1874 ended the open range
Overgrazing depleted the grass cover

10. Economic Impact:
Increased availability of beef, thus decreasing prices for consumers
Created centers of the beef industry like shipping centers in cities like Abilene and slaughtering and packing in Chicago
Creation of jobs for men – 55,000 cowboys employed from 1866 – 1885
Job was dangerous and required 14 hour work days
Although 25% were African American and 12% were Hispanic, discrimination was common
Prices crashed in 1885 because supply exceeded demand
In 1882 cattle was $35 per head; in 1885 cattle was only $8 per head

11. Urbanization

12. Urbanization Video: Boom Towns
Mining camps or railroad stops grew into mining and cattle towns and evolved into cities
Point at which a cattle drive ended and a railroad began became known as a “railhead” or “cattle town”
Examples: Abilene, Kansas; Wichita, Kansas; Cheyenne, Wyoming
Attracted business that miners and ranchers needed – stores, laundries, boarding houses, etc.
As businesses grew, more women and children moved in which led to schools and churches being established
Video: Boom Towns

13. Mining Camps
Camps grown into mining towns and eventually evolved into urban centers
Examples: Denver, Colorado; Boulder, Colorado; Carson City, Nevada