What we consider the west today and what was considered the west during the mid 1800’s are quite different. The west started at the Great Plains, which today we often think of the Great Plains as the center of our country. Now up to this point most people are living in the eastern half of the United States where they have everything they need and can get it fairly easily. Therefore why did people move west? Why did they leave the comfort of their homes to move to an unknown area where their lives would not be as easy?
Many people headed west in search of GOLD. In 1848, James Marshall discovered gold in Sutter’s Mill in California, and the gold rush was on. Gold rushers were called forty-niners because many of them went to California in 1849. Of the many people who headed west in search of gold only a few struck it rich, most did not. Therefore, was the risk of heading west worth it for these people? When miners couldn’t find gold they ended up working for mining companies for little pay. If you were one of these miners would you do it all over again if you get the chance or would you just stay put?
Many of us have heard of ghost towns, but have you heard of boom towns? Let’s say I discover gold in San Francisco, California. Once word spreads that I have discovered gold everyone is going to flock to San Francisco, creating a boom town. Hotels, taverns, police stations, etc are going to be built for the people living in the town. However, once people do not find gold or gold is found somewhere else everyone leaves the town creating a ghost town with lots of empty buildings. What a waste! What could be done with these ghost towns so there wouldn’t be so much waste?
Moving west was definitely a risky adventure. There was a chance you could strike it rich, but there was also a chance you wouldn’t. I think most people moving west to look for gold didn’t even consider the possibility that they would not find gold as they thought it would be pretty easy to find it. Once people realized there was no gold, they ended up working for mining companies. I think at first they regretted their decision but over time they became satisfied with what their life had become. What might be some reasons why these people became satisfied with their lives? Even though they didn’t find gold how were they able to make a good life?
ReplyDeleteHowever, if I was a miner during this time I would have NOT done it over again if I would have had the chance. I would not enjoy having to work in a hard, dirty job for little pay, and I would have missed all of the comforts of my home back in the east. It was worth it for me to leave originally because I wanted to strike it rich, but if I knew ahead of time I wasn’t going to strike it rich I wouldn’t have went. I would rather be safe and comfy back in my old home. I would get to see my friends and family whenever I wanted . What about you? Would you have headed west in search of gold or decided to stay home?
I don't know what I would pick. I would do both, because I want to go for the adventure and see more new things there. They reason why I wouldn't go is I don't want to die or get sick. You never know if your going to get rich or not that's a big risk I kinda of take.
DeleteI wouldn't go to the west because I would not be with my friends,animals and family. :(
DeleteI would stay home and not go to the west because it is not worth going over there to find nothing. I wouldn't go because I don't like to leave my dog at home.
DeleteI would go to the west because even if I didn't strike it rich it would be an adventure and I love adventures. I think mining sounds like fun and on games I play sometimes you can mine and I like it. I would also think panning for gold would be fun. It would also be exciting to find gold.
DeleteI would move to the west in search of gold because i like adventures and I like to see people I have never seen and gold and work out to break a rock so i can be rich.But if I don't struck rich that's OK I will still have a fun time because I would see what Califorina because it's huge and I like vaction's a lot
DeleteNo I would not want to go west because mostly everything I have learned was in Iowa and I don't want to leave everything behind.
DeleteI would stay safe at my home then go to the west and I know that I won't find gold.
DeleteI would go west because you have a chance to strike it rich.The reason I would go is if I find gold I could sell it.People think they don't wont to go is because its to much money.But lets say you find gold you can sell it to go back home.
DeleteI would not want to go to the west because I would miss my family, animals, and friends, and I would not have time to spend time with them like I wanted to. The other thing is that I think that it would be to dangerous for me. Also I think everybody should not go because its so dangerous, its just to risky.
DeleteIf I had a chance to go back to the West to do it all over again I would because I would get alot of gold and buy alot of land and have a family farm to pass down to my children.
DeleteI would not move west because I just don't like change. Besides I wouldn't know anything there and I very highly doubt that I would "strike it rich" with so many people there doing the same thing as me.
DeleteI would have stayed home because most didn't strike gold. Others got jobs at mining companies, barely any money and the boss got all the gold.
DeleteIf I had the chance I would go to the West because if I was poor and found gold I could get rich. I would miss my family but I would go for my family. If I didn't have the money for the tools I needed to use to find gold I would work for a mining company even if I got little money.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI would go to the west because I want to get gold and see what it is like to strike it rich, see gold and feel it.
DeleteI would go find gold because I like to take risks and also if I did strike gold I WOULD BE RICH.
ReplyDeleteI would not move west and do it all over again because it is to big of a risk for not enough pay out. If i did not get a good pay out i would half to work for a mining company for even less pay than mining for your self because all gold goes to the mine owner at the end of the day. That is why i would not move west to do it all over again
ReplyDeleteIf I had the chance to go to the west and find god I would because if there was a chance for me to get gold I would take that chance even if that chance was a 1 and 100 chance of getting gold. God put gold on earth so people could find it not so people could ignore it. I would probably bring my family to because I love them. :)
ReplyDeleteI would not go and leave my family to go to the mines.I would not like the weather there.I would miss my friends and family.It would be rough.Most people didn't strike rich so I would not go.You never know what you are going to eat or sleep.I would not go
ReplyDelete(1) They wanted to strike gold. They wanted to be rich.
ReplyDelete(2) Yes there is a 50% 50% of striking gold
(3) The ghost towns could be come a mining town
I wouldn't head west if I had the chance to do it over because, I don't want to use all my money just to go over to the west and look for gold and not have enough money to get back home. I also don't want to end up working for a dirty mine factory instead working on the farm back at home. I would rather stay home instead of risking everything to go look for gold in the west and possibly not get anything. Those are the reasons I would rather stay home instead of going west for gold.
ReplyDeleteI would head to the west because I have a chance to strike it rich and I like adventures! If I was poor and heard there was gold I would go for sure because I'd be rich.
ReplyDelete