Background Sheet 5
What could a miner do if he felt mistreated by a group of miners?
Call a camp meeting
Why was the gold and silver discovery in Nevada called the Comstock Lode?
Comstock boasted and talked about his new mine so much that the whole area was named after him.
What was the basic food in the prospectors’ diet?
Pork, beans, coffee, flour
How was Australia’s government different from California’s?
Australia was an English colony with a government. California wasn't a colony or state.
What hardships did the Alaskan gold rushers face?
One of the following: Extreme cold, diseases, or starvation.
How was camp justice administered?
Rough and quick
Who made the Comstock discovery?
Patrick McLaughlin and Peter O'Riley
What were prices like in mining towns?
Prices were very high
Why did Hargraves name the site of his gold discovery “Ophir”?
It was named after a California mining camp
What special people were aboard the Portland and the
Excelsior when they steamed into San Francisco Bay?
Miners with gold from Alaska
How did a miner stake a claim?
Any of the following: Mark the land, drive a stake into the land, or file the claim with the camp recorder
Where was the gold and silver in Nevada discovered?
Virginia City
What did the miners do for entertainment?
Danced, gambled, sports, professional entertainers
Who discovered gold in Australia?
Hargraves
What is special about the Homestake Mine?
Why did the Indians dislike the miners?
The ruined the land and scared game (animals) away.
What did the early Colorado gold rushers paint on their wagons?
"Pike's Peak or Bust"
What were living conditions like in a mining camp?
Harsh and unsanitary
What is “The Welcome Stranger”?
A gold nugget that weighed 140 pounds
Where was gold discovered in South Dakota?
Black Hills
Who were the “Chilenos”?
Mexicans or Latin Americans
What happened to Colorado as a result of the gold rush?
One of the following: Colorado became a territory in 1861 or a state in 1876
What two diseases did miners contract?
Scurvy and Cholera
When was most of the Alaskan gold found?
In the spring and summer of 1897
In what three states—other than Alaska, California, Nevada, or Colorado—was gold discovered late in the 19th century?
One of the following: South Dakota, Montana, or Idaho