GOLD RUSH AND RICHES
All About America series
Kingfisher • February 2012
(hc) ISBN 978-0-7534-6584-4 $19.89
(pb) ISBN 978-0-7354-6512-7 $9.99
In January 1848, carpenter James Marshall made a chance discovery that would change the face of the American West: a few shiny flakes of gold in a ditch he was digging for John Sutter's sawmill. Within a year more than 100,000 gold-seekers from all over the world were on their way to California, and the Gold Rush was on.
This book presents the story of one of the greatest expansion periods in U.S. history—from the dangers of the journey, to the rough and tumble of the mining settlements, the day-to-day life of a miner and those who provided services to him, the easy-come-easy-go fortunes won and lost, and the boomtowns that turned to ghost towns when the rush was over.
Packed with period photographs, original artifacts, illustrations of daily life in the mining towns, and plenty of historical detail, this book will capture the imagination of young readers who love the idea of striking it rich.
About the series...
The books in the All about America series pack a wealth of information into an attractively designed package. Double-page spreads, enhanced with photographs, color illustrations, reproductions, artifacts, maps, and sidebars, introduce each topic in detail. . . . All titles give careful consideration to Native American history, highlighting their displacement, noting that colonists and Indians often attacked each other, and emphasizing that more settlers died of disease than from attacks. A glossary, time line, and suggested books and websites add to this series’ research value. - Booklist
Contents
I Have Found It! Flakes of gold spark a rush
The News Is Out! The rush to California begins
California Ho! The overland journey to the goldfields
Setting Up as a Miner Getting supplied and outfitted
Digging for Gold A hard day's work
The Goldfields A mass of mines and people
Striking Lucky The California lottery
Spending a Fortune Easy come, easy go
Boomtowns From camps to cities
New Finds, New Dangers Large-scale mining
Ghost Towns Looking for the next big find
Klondike Stampede Gold in the frozen North
Mining America's Riches Silver, coal, iron, and black gold