The California Gold Rush was only the first of a series of rushes that brought the first permanent settlers to much of the Far West between 1848 and 1880. Despite a flood of popular writings on separate mining regions, this book is the first to view the entire movement as an integral part of the settlement process.
The author displays a thorough knowledge of all aspects of western mining: geology, technology, and economics, as well as history. His emphasis is not on bad men and vigilantes but on the ingenious contrivers of new techniques and machinery, the hardheaded capitalists who subsidized the development of the most promising mines, the builders of the transportation routes needed to link mining camps with markets.
 "A long-needed book, rising far above the usual superficial romantic nonsense that surrounds the subject."--Virginia Quarterly
 "With a fresh, penetrating approach, Paul strips away the glamor and views the mining frontiers not only in their bearing on national development, but also in terms of their interrelationship with each other."--American Historical Review

Mining Frontiers of the Far West, 1848-1880 (Histories of the American Frontier Series)

History

Paul, Rodman Wilson

Americas

UNM Press

Long out of print, this highly praised classic study of western mining is now available with three new chapters by Elliott West. When originally published in 1963, Professor Paul’s book offered the first comprehensive view of western mining as an integral part of the settlement process. In his supplemental chapters, Professor West presents a sweeping social history of mining camps—encompassing discussions of gender, class, race, labor, and the environment. The combined scholarship of Paul and West makes a strong case for the transforming effects of the mining frontier on western society in particular and American society in general. The American Historical Review praised the original edition as “a fresh, penetrating approach.” This revised, expanded edition continues to offer a distinctively vivid voice and an unusually keen eye for telling detail.

Mining Frontiers of the Far West, 1848-1880 (Histories of the American Frontier)

Business & Money

West, Elliott

Economics

University of New Mexico Press

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Books by Paul, Rodman Wilson