Process Paper | |
File Size: | 79 kb |
File Type: |
After being introduced to the American frontier topic in class, I came across the topic of the California Gold Rush and I wanted to learn more about its effects. I ultimately decided to research the economic effects of the Gold Rush.
I started my research by finding sources online which would give me a better general knowledge of my subject. In addition to finding several general information sources, I also found a helpful website for a PBS documentary on the Gold Rush. Once I had acquired a solid understanding of my topic, I set a goal to find authoritative sources. I searched JSTOR for sources pertaining to the economic impact of the Gold Rush. One especially informative article was A Veritable Revolution: The Global Economic Significance of the California Gold Rush by Gerald D. Nash. Nash discusses how the Gold Rush encouraged a wide range of entrepreneurial activities and how it stimulated a wide range of industries in California. Another helpful article was From Hard Money to Branch Banking: California Banking in the Gold-Rush Economy by Larry Schweikart and Lynn P. Doti. This article was particularly helpful as I was looking for more information on the emergence of banking in California, and the article was detailed and relevant. However, I wanted sources that were more detailed and contained more complex arguments than scholarly journals, so I began to search for books. One book I read was The Age of Gold by H.W. Brands. It provides an extremely detailed description of the events of the Gold Rush, as well as the events that occurred afterward due to it. Another particularly useful book was The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience by J.S. Holliday. This book has proven to be an extremely reliable and detailed source. It contains Holliday’s description of the events of the Gold Rush, along with many letters from William Swain, a prospector from the period. Swain’s letters provide a vivid first-hand account of the Gold Rush, and combined with Holliday’s incredibly detailed research, they form one of my most useful sources. Another book that proved to be particularly useful was Days of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the American Nation by Malcolm J. Rohrbough. The book was very informative and detailed, and provided a variety of useful and relevant information to aid me in my research.
In the mid-19th century, the California Gold Rush attracted a massive influx of miners from around the world, and their vast numbers stimulated a wide variety of industries in California. The demand for many different types of goods was increased with the mass arrival of gold miners. While some found great wealth through mining, it was the entrepreneurs who provided supplies and services to the miners who found the most success. California provided an ideal place for entrepreneurial ventures and the growth of capitalism, and the Gold Rush’s profound economic effects sparked its ascent to economic primacy.
I started my research by finding sources online which would give me a better general knowledge of my subject. In addition to finding several general information sources, I also found a helpful website for a PBS documentary on the Gold Rush. Once I had acquired a solid understanding of my topic, I set a goal to find authoritative sources. I searched JSTOR for sources pertaining to the economic impact of the Gold Rush. One especially informative article was A Veritable Revolution: The Global Economic Significance of the California Gold Rush by Gerald D. Nash. Nash discusses how the Gold Rush encouraged a wide range of entrepreneurial activities and how it stimulated a wide range of industries in California. Another helpful article was From Hard Money to Branch Banking: California Banking in the Gold-Rush Economy by Larry Schweikart and Lynn P. Doti. This article was particularly helpful as I was looking for more information on the emergence of banking in California, and the article was detailed and relevant. However, I wanted sources that were more detailed and contained more complex arguments than scholarly journals, so I began to search for books. One book I read was The Age of Gold by H.W. Brands. It provides an extremely detailed description of the events of the Gold Rush, as well as the events that occurred afterward due to it. Another particularly useful book was The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience by J.S. Holliday. This book has proven to be an extremely reliable and detailed source. It contains Holliday’s description of the events of the Gold Rush, along with many letters from William Swain, a prospector from the period. Swain’s letters provide a vivid first-hand account of the Gold Rush, and combined with Holliday’s incredibly detailed research, they form one of my most useful sources. Another book that proved to be particularly useful was Days of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the American Nation by Malcolm J. Rohrbough. The book was very informative and detailed, and provided a variety of useful and relevant information to aid me in my research.
In the mid-19th century, the California Gold Rush attracted a massive influx of miners from around the world, and their vast numbers stimulated a wide variety of industries in California. The demand for many different types of goods was increased with the mass arrival of gold miners. While some found great wealth through mining, it was the entrepreneurs who provided supplies and services to the miners who found the most success. California provided an ideal place for entrepreneurial ventures and the growth of capitalism, and the Gold Rush’s profound economic effects sparked its ascent to economic primacy.