Chapter 18 – The Frontier West (1865-1914)

Objectives:

1. Describe how mining changed the West.2. Identify the builders of the first cross-country railroad.3. Describe how railroads helped open the west.

Lesson 1 – The Mining Frontier

• Western mining boom began with the California Gold Rush of 1849.

• 1859 – Sierra Nevada – Comstock Lode

• Lode – a rich vein of gold or silver.

• Henry Comstock “owned” the mine.

• Comstock Lode was one of the world’s richest silver mines.

HenryComstock

Mining Boom

• Comstock Lode attracted miners from across the U.S. and other countries.

• The mining camp grew into Virginia City, NE.

• Denver & Colorado Springs grew up near rich gold mines.

• Major gold strikes were found in the Black Hills of SD.

Effects of the Boom

• Thousands of people came west to supply miners’ needs.

• Women ran boarding houses, laundries, and restaurants.

• Boom towns could become ghost towns.• Problems created by surge of miners:

– Mines/towns polluted.– Forests near towns were cut down.– Forced Native Americans from their land.– Foreign miners were ill-treated.

Most mining in the West was taken over by large companies.

Spanning the Country by Rail

• Railroads were needed for supplies.• Fed. Gov. encouraged railroad building out west by

loaning money and giving land to railroad companies.• Transcontinental railroad – spans the continent.• Union Pacific Railroad – started in Omaha and ran

westward.• Central Pacific Railroad – started in Sacramento and ran

eastwad.• Companies hired immigrant workers, who accepted low

wages.• Central Pacific – China, Union Pacific – Ireland.• The two railways met at Promontory Point, north of Great

Salt Lake in Utah on May 10, 1869.

Railroads Bring Rapid Growth

• New settlements• Enabled people, supplies, & mail to move

quickly and cheaply.• Cities & Towns sprang up.• Nevada – 1864• Colorado – 1876• North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, &

Washington – 1889• Idaho & Wyoming - 1890