![]() The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California, set a pattern for such strikes that was repeated again and again for the next decade, in what collectively became known as the California Gold Rush. The search for gold represented an opportunity far different from the slow plod that homesteading farmers faced. The allure of gold has long sent people on wild chases in the American West, the possibility of quick riches was no different. Although neither miners nor ranchers intended to remain permanently in the West, many individuals from both groups ultimately stayed and settled there, sometimes due to the success of their gamble, and other times due to their abject failure. This meat was highly sought after in eastern markets, and the demand created not only wealthy ranchers but an era of cowboys and cattle drives that in many ways defines how we think of the West today. In addition, ranchers capitalized on newly available railroad lines to move longhorn steers that populated southern and western Texas. Specifically, gold (and, subsequently, silver and copper) prospecting attracted thousands of miners looking to “get rich quick” before returning east. Explain why the cattle industry was paramount to the development of the West and how it became the catalyst for violent range warsĪlthough homestead farming was the primary goal of most western settlers in the latter half of the nineteenth century, a small minority sought to make their fortunes quickly through other means.Identify the major discoveries and developments in western gold, silver, and copper mining in the mid-nineteenth century.By the end of this section, you will be able to: ![]()
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