Mining as a Transpacific Experience

Trans-Pacific trade and migration is of course a many centuries-old phenomenon; K-12 U.S. History content standards, however, treat these dynamic exchanges as more indicative of the late twentieth century and contemporary world than of any earlier period. The history of the American West is generally portrayed as a march westward by American settlers, and the traditional narrative, for California at least, is that the Gold Rush was a brief international moment before American culture, politics, and people dominated the region. But whether it is California’s, Nevada’s, Colorado’s, Australia’s or New Zealand’s mining booms under investigation, the reality is that a diverse people came from around the world (many of whom chased one boom to the next across mountain ranges and the ocean) creating permanent cultural and economic ties among these distinct regions. Agricultural, construction, and luxury goods flowed in and out of Asian, South Pacific, and American ports. Along the way, these societies shifted to encompass new peoples, goods, and ideas. Environmental changes brought on by hydraulic mining, the agricultural sector, and the lumber industry all reshaped opportunities for each region’s future. This presentation will offer specific suggestions for reframing the story of the American West for K-12 students through the use of grade-appropriate primary sources, literacy strategies, and recommendations for where within the content standards to include this material.