Cultural Crossroads

Have students work in small groups to research the roles and contributions of various cultures during America's Gold Rush. The people who labored in the hard-rock mines came from all over the world. In fact, in many places, native-born Americans were distinctly in the minority.

The Peruvian Mill similar to an arrastra, crushed ore with the abrasive action of heavy stones. Thomas A Rickard's Journeys of Observation (1907).

From the forty-niners on, Americans were skilled as placer miners but had little experience with hard-rock mining. More often than not, the miner attacking the most perplexing problems was an Englishman from Cornwall who had years of experience working in the tin mines of southern England.

Many Chinese came to America to seek their fortunes in the Gold Rush. They were involved in such activities as digging ditches to divert water for placer mining operations. Generally, they were prevented from staking claims to placer operations, although they could rework old placer diggings. Many became cooks and launderers in mining towns.

Hydraulic mining, worked well but proved to be quite destructive to the environment. Wilson F. Erskine Collection, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Large groups of Italians arrived under contract labor agreements. In return for food and lodging, the immigrants signed contracts to work at a fixed wage for one to seven years. Many Italians were involved in building beehive ovens used to produce charcoal for the smelting process.

Experienced Mexican miners were in great demand for working gold and silver deposits.

Workers came from many counties, including Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Serbo-Croatia to dig out tunnels, load ore cars, cut timber, and care for animals.

Immigrants composed much of the workforce in and around mining. Many Chinese worked as miners and became cooks and launderers in mining towns. California State Library, in Jack Wagner's Gold Mines in California

Suggest that students research ways in which their own ethic group contributed to mining operations.

Jeremy M. Brodie
Environmental Education and Volunteer Programs
Last Updated: May 1, 1996