Gold Rush Assignment You will choose one of the following three options for your project: 1. Journal Write a series of journal entries from the perspective of a person involved with one of thc=; Gold Rushes 2. Map Draw an informative map of one of the Gold Rushes 3. Brochure Advertise the Gold Rush to perspective gold-seekers Regardless of which option you choose, your project must meet the following targets: Describe one or both of the Gold Rushes in detail (how did it begin, where did it take place, other important information) Show your understanding of the impact of the Gold Rushes on the communities and individuals involved. Rubric Gold Rush described in detail (Include: who, what, where, when, why, how) Understanding of the impact of the Gold Rush illustrated (Include: communities, miners, Native People) /10 Presentation (chosen option effectively meets above targets, information is easy for the reader to follow) 110 Spelling/grammar/mechanics (errors are few and do not distract the reader) 15 /5 130
E ti I Waterwheels pumped water out of underground mines. iners used rockers to separate gold from sand, silt, and gravel. t a g It AMERICAN TERRITORY
ocation of Gold Rushes Many explorers and fur traders hoped to find gold n Western North America, but few did. In the 1800s there were two large gold rushes in what is now Western Canada. One was in the Cariboo area of what is now British Columbia in the 1850s and 1860s. The other was the Klondike Gold Rush in the Yukon in the 1890s. The Cariboo Gold Rush Gold was found along the Fraser River in 1857 and later in the Cariboo Mountains. People came from all over the world to find gold. They came from eastern North America, Europe, and China. In 1849, there had been a gold rush in California. Many people from that gold rush came to the Cariboo Gold Rush in the 1850s and 1860s. Most people came by ship along the west coast of North America. Those from Europe and eastern North America had to go all the way around the southern tip of South America. Other people came overland from eastern North America. They had a long and difficult trip as they rode in carts or walked. They had to cross the prairies, rivers, and mountains to get to the goldfields. Most of the people coming to the goldfields by ship stopped at the Hudson's Bay Company post of Fort Victoria, on Vancouver Island. There they bought rice, flour, bacon, salt, beans, picks, shovels, and wire screens. Then they travelled up the Fraser River to Yale in canoes or on rafts pulled by steamboats. It was very difficult and dangerous. Many people were drowned. From Yale, the prospectors, or people looking for gold, had to travel on muddy riverbanks, through forests, and along narrow, rocky mountain trails. A few could afford to rent mules or pack horses. The others had to carry all their food and tools on their backs. Small amounts of gold were carried in the waters of the Fraser River. People there removed the gold from the water and the riverbed by panning. The mother lode or main supply of gold was found in the Cariboo Mountains in 1869. People there got the gold by digging mines. Changes Life During Gold Rush Times Going to a gold rush was usually lonely, dangerous, and hard work. Most of the people were far from home. Many of them got discouraged by the dangerous trip, especially if they walked for long distances on the way. Others worked for many months or years and found little or no gold. While they were panning or digging for gold, the prospectors often lived in tiny shacks or huts. The Cariboo Road In 1862, Governor James Douglas had workers start building the Cariboo Road from Yale to the goldfields. This made it possible for pack trains of mules and even stage coaches to travel to the goldfields. The Colony of British Columbia There had been a British colony on Vancouver Island since 1849. During the gold rushes, many Americans came to the nearby mainland to look for gold. Governor Douglas was afraid that the people in the area might decide to become American citizens rather than British citizens. In 1858 Governor Douglas declared the mainland of British Columbia to be a British colony. In 1866 the two colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island joined together. They became the colony of British Columbia. Many Indians in British Columbia found jobs in the new industries. They acted as guides for people looking for gold, and helped to build roads and railroads. Later they found jobs in the lumbering, mining; and fishing industries. As settlers moved into British Columbia, treaties with the Indians were not made as they had been on the Prairies. In the 1980s, many Indians in British Columbia are still trying to have their land claims recognized. 141
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