Riches for All: The California Gold Rush and the World - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0803286171 ISBN 13: 9780803286177

Publisher: University of Nebraska Press, 2002

Synopsis

An event of international significance, the California gold rush created a more diverse, metropolitan society than the world had ever known. In Riches for All, leading scholars reexamine the gold rush, evaluating its trajectory and legacy within a global context of religion and race, economics, technology, law, and culture. The opportunity for instant wealth directly influenced a dynamic range of peoples, including Mormon military veterans, California Indian workers, both slave and free African Americans, Chinese village farmers, skilled Mexican miners, and Chilean merchants. Riches for All gives attention to the varying motivations and experiences of these groups and to their struggles with both racial and religious bigotry. Emphasizing gold rush social history, some contributors examine the roles and influence of women, workers, law-breakers, and law-enforcers. Others consider the long-term impact of this episode on California and the American West and on subsequent gold rushes in Pacific Rim countries and the Klondike. With lively and incisive strokes, these historians sketch the most broadly contextualized and nuanced portrait of the California gold rush to date. Kenneth N. Owens is a professor emeritus of history and ethnic studies at California State University, Sacramento. He is the editor of The Wreck of the Sv. Nikolai and John Sutter and a Wider West, both available in Bison Books editions.

About this title

Review:

"The most important collection of books on western and American Indian history."

Synopsis:

The California Gold Rush was much more than a western or white event-it involved and affected diverse peoples, places, and histories far outside of its region and time. In this volume, leading scholars cast new light on the Gold Rush by examining its trajectory and legacy within a global context of race, economics, and culture. A dynamic range of peoples were drawn to and impacted by the California Gold Rush-including Mormons, California Indians, African Americans, Chinese, Mexicans and Latin Americans. Special attention is given here to their varying motivations and experiences and frequently shared struggle against racism in California. The roles and influence of other important components of Gold Rush society-women, workers, law-breakers, and law-enforcers-are also examined. A number of contributors cast their eyes beyond the event to consider its long-term consequences for California history and for subsequent gold rushes in the northwest and Klondike. With lively and incisive strokes, the contributors to this collection paint the most complete and nuanced portrait of the California Gold Rush to date. Kenneth N.

Owens is a professor emeritus of history at California State University. He is the editor of The Wreck of the Sv. Nikolai and John Sutter and a Wider West, both published by the University of Nebraska Press.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0803286171
• ISBN 13: 9780803286177
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 367
• Editor: Owens Kenneth N.