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Period: to
Western Competition for Miners and Homesteaders
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The California Gold Rush Begins
Large deposites of gold attracted miners from the east who sought to "stike gold." However, most mines were owned by private companies and the miners were just paid labor; it didn't matter how much gold they found. -
Hydraulic Jets
The advancement of technology, such as the use of hydraulic jets, changed the entire nature of mining since it became more of a job and less of a hope of getting rich. -
The "Easy" Gold was Already Gone
During the early stages of mining in the west many miners found "easy" gold by panning rivers and streams. As time went by, more miners used this method and found all of the profitable gold in rivers and streams leaving nothing. Therefore, many miners turned to work as labor in mines. -
Pikes Peak (Source of Gold and Silver)
After the California Gold Rush came to a halt, miners began to look elsewhere to find a fortune in gold and silver. Pikes Peak in Colorado was one of the deposites of gold and silver that was found when miners began to scour the west anew. -
Mining in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho
Miners and companies found precious metals in Oregon, Montana, and Idaho after the depletion of gold in California. -
Lincoln Signs the Homstead Act
The hope for this act was to address land issues in the U.S. by changing the cost per acre. -
1st Homestead Claims are Filed
This marks the true start of the frontier movements. -
Southern Homestead Act Passed
Allowed for homesteading in ex-confederate states -
Mining in the Black Hills
During the 1870's miners found most of their treasure in the Black Hills of South Dakota. -
The General Mining Act of 1872
The General Mining Act of 1872 states that any American Citizen that is over the age of 18 is allowed to make a claim to federal land for the purpose of mining. This act was important since the U.S. government had little to no intervention in the west after the acquisition of California resulting in the miners making their own laws. -
Leadville (Silver-lead Deposit)
Miners went deeper into the Rockies in hope of finding not only gold and silver, but lead, copper, and zinc that were essential to the industry of the northeastern part of the nation. -
Relief Act is Passed
Due to the destruction of crops from natural disasters, this act helped the farmers effected -
The New Homestead Legislation Established
Made ammendments to the original Homestead Acts by lowering the qualifications for homesteading. -
The Dredging Method in Mining
Miners began to use the dredging method was used to increase the harvest of precious metals. Dredging is the use of a long chain of buckets that bring up mud and silt from the rivers and deposit it on screens that separate the precious metal from everything else. -
The Reclamation Act Passed
Made the federal government responsible for the water distibution amoung farmers -
The Bureau of Mines
Was created by Congress in response to the frequent and disasterous explosions that killed hundreds of miners each year.
