CH. 13-2 MINING AND RANCHING

1. CH. 13-2 MINING AND RANCHING AMERICAN HISTORY

2. STRIKING GOLD AND SILVER Gold Rush of 1849 in CA Miners went from one discovery to another in search of gold and silver Idaho, Montana, the Black Hills, Arizona, Colorado DISCOVERING GOLD AND SILVER 1858—gold found near Pikes Peak, CO 1859—gold found in Carson River Valley, NV

3. Thousands of miners rushed to this mine called the COMSTOCK LODE 1858-1878--$500 million worth of silver found in this mine THE KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH July 17, 1897--“Gold!, Gold!, Gold!”—Seattle Post Intelligencer Klondike River in Canada’s remote Yukon Territory

4. Over the next year 100,000 Americans streamed up to the Yukon Territory in search of riches Canadian officials required prospectors to bring provisions for a year—a ton Groceries, clothing, hardware, tents, packsaddles, camp stoves, bedding, and sleds Most prospectors came away disappointed

5. The best gold-bearing creeks had been taken and the reports of “gold for the taking” were greatly exaggerated MINING CAMPS Most prospectors were men Several countries—USA, England, Mexico, Ireland, China, and others Most camps were little more than groups of tents or shacks

6. Most camps had no law enforcement Competition for gold led to intense rivalries and violence Vigilante committees formed to combat theft and violence. Violators could be hanged after a speedy and unofficial “trial”.

7. CAMPS BECOME TOWNS Some sprawling mining camps turned into towns Early towns had dirt streets, wooden sidewalks, hastily constructed buildings The arrival of families turned rough-and-tumble towns into prosperous, respectable communities People established churches, schools, newspapers—even opera houses

8. MINING AS BIG BUSINESS Early days of the gold rush—prospectors used hand tools PLACER MINING—minerals are found in loose sand or gravel Simplest form of placer mining was panning for gold When surface mining ran out, more sophisticated equipment was needed Large companies were formed to invest in this equipment

9. 1880s—mining was dominated by these big companies Two methods for extracting ore: 1) Hydraulic mining—used water under high pressure to blast away dirt. This method sent sediment into rivers causing flooding 2) Hard-rock mining—cutting deep shafts in solid rock to extract the ore

10. Miners became employees of mining companies, not lone prospectors. Miners dug mine shafts, built tunnels, drilled for and processed ore Working for a company more secure than relying on your own luck Very risky—cave-ins, underground fires, explosions, flooded mines Miners began to organize into unions to negotiate for higher pay and better working conditions

11. Mining companies opposed unions Cripple Creek, CO—violent conflict between the labor union and management 30 men killed and union crushed

12. THE CATTLE BOOM Buffalos near extinction, Indians on reservation Cattle ranching became a new way of life ORIGINS OF WESTERN RANCHING First ranchers were Spanish in the 1500s Ranchers interbred Spanish and English cattle to create a new breed that thrived on the plains—Texas Longhorn

13. Longhorns could travel long distances without much water and could live on just grass and were immune to Texas Fever Spanish also introduced sheep ranching New England mills increased their demand for raw wool Cowboys complained that sheep ruined the grass by eating the roots Conflicts between cattle and sheep ranchers sometimes became violent

14. DEMAND FOR BEEF Cities in the East demanded more beef to feed to their growing populations 1866—a steer sold in Texas for $4 but up north could sell for $40 Cattle drives got steers to railroad stations to take the cattle to market in places like Chicago

15. CATTLE TRAILS Several different trails were used to get cattle from Texas to major rail centers CHISOLM TRAIL—San Antonio, TX to Abilene/Ellsworth, KS 1871—600,000 cattle traveled this trail annually Cattle drive lasted three months—10-12 miles per day

16. About 2/3 of the cowboys on cattle drives were white teenage boys 12-18 years old Also African Americans and Hispanic young men as well Even a few women—disguised as men—rode the trail RANCHING AS BIG BUSINESS Cattle owners had trouble keeping track of their herds on the open range

17. 1870s—Invention by Joseph Glidden (DeKalb, IL) Patent issued for barbed wire Privately owned cattle ranches spread quickly across the plains 1882-1886—400+ cattle corporations started in WY, MT, CO, NM Most were backed by eastern and European investors

18. Enclosing the open range led to conflict Some ranchers included public land with their private land Public roads were blocked also 1883—fence cutting became commonplace (made a felony in1884) Severe winters (1885-1886 & 1886-1887) caused severe losses to the cattle industry

19. Cattles migrated south to escape the blizzards but were trapped by drift fences that stretched from NM to OK Drift fences prevented the spread of cattle with Texas Fever Thousands of cattle perished in a disaster known as the “Big Die-up” THE END