The Draw to the West
Many Miners were drawn to abundance of minerals such as silver and gold in Nevada. This find was named after Henry Comstock; it was called the Comstock Lode. Approximately 500 millions dollars of ore was dissevered in this bonanza. The mining took place for 20 years. This led to mining becoming an important business.
Comstock Miners
Working Conditions
Working conditions for miners were very poor and dangerous. Workers risked their lives on platforms with no walls ensuring closure, and many developed respiratory diseases. Lighting was also limited because candles would not light due to little oxygen. Floods, explosions, and cave-ins took the lives of miners. Temperatures also grew very hot, sometimes up to 130 degrees fahrenheit. In the 1860s, labor unions began to form.
Miners Working in Poor Conditions
Key Places and PeopleHenry Comstock: miner who gave the Comstock Lode its name
Immigrants as miners: immigrants who traveled to the Western United States to mine but received low pay Virginia City: home to a crowded boomtown Nevada: the locations of the Comstock Lode |
Henry Comstock
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Way of Life During the Gold Rush
Miners often lived in boomtowns. These towns opened and closed as the nearby mines did. They contained had stores and houses like many communities, but they had no laws or order. In 1860, not many women inhabited boom towns. Lifestyle was not very pleasant for women who did live in boomtowns. They labored and were were quite lonely. They performed tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and teaching. Many of these boomtowns became cities with the assistance of female workers.
A Boomtown
