The book gives a description of the events associated with the discovery and mining of gold in California, the immense migration of people the events brought in the area as well as the lifestyle of the gold miners and the mining towns. The book gives a comprehensive examination of the historical implications of the Gold Rush in California. It begins with a description of how life was in California before the Gold rush as well as the European colonization in America, explores how life evolved, and concludes with some information regarding the contemporary California. It examines the peoples’ daily lives, with some interest in their clothing, diet, their forms of entertainment, their emotional reactions, which are …show more content…
The fact that travelling to California was a very challenging encounter for many, there was yet another more demanding and challenging job awaiting them. The mining of gold was a very physically demanding work. There were long hours of working and only one day of resting in a week. This was indeed a life transition, with some few women as pioneering women miners. Gold mining involved a long process to obtain the required ore. With time, much of the surface gold was depleted and deep mining was engaged. The hydraulic mining brought environmental as landscape devastation, and the areas that were don-hill were affected by floods and toxic substances from the mines. More women entered the mining sector and strongly took positions in the other sectors because of …show more content…
The huge influx of the people from different areas of the world disrupted the peaceful existence of the indigenous people. Most of these indigenous people were affected by starvation, abuse, massacre, and diseases. The Native American fought with the other immigrant communities, as there were widespread skirmishes. The habitat, culture and the infrastructure were destroyed, the natural land and environment facing degradation. Poisonous chemical elements such as cyanide, mercury, arsenic and other toxic substances were released to the environment causing health complications to the people around. In essence, the Gold Rush brought about tangible elements of social unrest.
The overall analysis of the historical significance of the content discussed in the book
The gold rush is indeed a key phenomenon in the historical background of California and the regions affected. There are different dynamics involved in this historic event. The tremendous expansion of the population in California due to the huge numbers of immigrants had a great significance in shaping the culture and the economic outlook of the area. The social and economic transformation that California experienced, despite the social unrest and other issue like the civil war that were trivial to the area, was crucial in propelling it to become a state of its own and attain the status it has today as