Chapter 3 Section 1

I. Mining

a. Gold and Silver were the most precious metals. Miners will use the railroads to

move resources to the eastern markets.

b. The Comstock Lode- 1859

Henry Comstock discovers a huge deposit of gold and silver in Nevada. Produces

over $500 million of silver and gold.

c. Many miners were from:-The Eastern U.S.

-Europe-Central AmericaSouth America

- Some were even from Mexico

Boomtowns

d. Mining created boomtowns.- Meaning cities that suddenly appeared.

-Most boomtowns had general stores, saloons, and boardinghouses. Few women or families

lived in boomtowns. The women washed, cooked, made clothes and chopped wood.

-Women also established schools and wrote for the newspapers.

II. The Cattle Kingdom

a. There was a huge demand for beef in the east. A cow in Texas was worth around $6. They would sell it to Kansas for $38. People in Kansas would

sell it in New York for $80.b. Longhorns were the most popular breed of cattle, they had characteristics

which allowed them to survive with very little water and could stand the harsh hot environment.

c. Cattle Kingdom- The Great Plains from Canada to Texas.

d. Vaquero- Mexican ranch hands who cared for cattle and horses.

Cowboys took the saddle, lariat(lasso), hats, chaps from the

vaqueros as their own style.

e. The Chisholm Trail

Ran from San Antonio, Texas to Abilene, Kansas. One of the most popular routes for cattle drives.

III.Barbed wired

-b. Hot dry summers, and harsh winters

IV. The Transcontinental Railroad

a. It is a railroad that would cross the continent and connect the eastern U.S. to

the west.b. The Union Pacific and Central Pacific were

the two companies creating the railroad.c. C. The Union Pacific relied on Irish and

African American workers.d. The Central Pacific relied primarily on

Chinese workers.

IV. Con’t…

e. The Golden Spike- May 10, 1869 Leland Stanford drove the final GOLDEN STAKE to

connect the railroad from east to west.

f. The Results

i. Businesses like timber, miners, ranchers, farmers shipped wood, metals, meat, and grain to the east.ii. Time Zones were established.

iii. 164,000 miles of track were laid by 1890.