What effect did mining have on the West?

What effect did mining have on the West?

Western mining wrought havoc on the local environment. Rock dust from drilling was often dumped into river beds, forming silt deposits downstream that flooded towns and farmlands. Miners and farmers were often at loggerheads over the effects of one enterprise on the other.

How did mining shaped the West?

Mining shaped the West in negative and positive ways. Example of negative ways include taking up a lot of water, and polluting it by having it run through the mine. A positive impact on the West would be creating more occupations for people.

Why was mining important to the development of the West?

Miners were drawn to the West in 1859 because they found gold and silver in western Nevada. This became known as the Comstock Lode which was named after Henry Comstock. The wealth was real this time and the Comstock Lode became a bonanza, or a large deposit of precious ore.

How did mining towns contribute to the development of the West?

How did mining contribute to the development of the West? Mining attracted people people attracted business both attracted railroads. If you have people business investment and transportation add mineral wealth and you have Economic Development.

Why was mining so important?

IMPORTANCE OF MINING Mined materials are needed to construct roads and hospitals, to build automobiles and houses, to make computers and satellites, to generate electricity, and to provide the many other goods and services that consumers enjoy.

What negative impact gold and silver mining have in the West?

Gold mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world. It can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt workers, and destroy pristine environments. It pollutes water and land with mercury and cyanide, endangering the health of people and ecosystems.

What role did mining play in the West expansion?

What role did mining play in the development of the American West? Many of the first people to go West were miners and many were trying to find gold. Populations increased dramatically and allowed territories to apply for statehood.

How did mining impact the frontier?

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 did more than trigger the migration of tens of thousands of people hoping to make their fortune in the mineral‐rich West. It created a body of prospectors willing to go wherever a strike was made.

What are 5 positive effects of mining?

These benefits include low-cost, reliable electricity and the materials necessary to build our homes, schools, hospitals, roads, highways, bridges and airports.

What are some benefits of mining?

Mined materials are needed to construct roads and hospitals, to build automobiles and houses, to make computers and satellites, to generate electricity, and to provide the many other goods and services that consumers enjoy. In addition, mining is economically important to producing regions and countries.

What are the impacts of mining?

Across the world, mining contributes to erosion, sinkholes, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, significant use of water resources, dammed rivers and ponded waters, wastewater disposal issues, acid mine drainage and contamination of soil, ground and surface water, all of which can lead to health issues in local …

How does mining affect society?

Some of the negative impacts of mining are loss of vegetation cover, mass destruction of water bodies, loss of biodiversity, land-use changes and food insecurity, increased social vices and conflicts, high cost of living, and air pollution.

How did mining ranching and farming shape the West?

The frontier changed dramatically as more and more people moved westward. Settlers built homes, fenced off land, and laid out ranches and farms. Miners, ranchers, and farmers remade the land- scape of the West as they adapted to their new surroundings.

How has mining change the land?

Mine exploration, construction, operation, and maintenance may result in land-use change, and may have associated negative impacts on environments, including deforestation, erosion, contamination and alteration of soil profiles, contamination of local streams and wetlands, and an increase in noise level, dust and

What is the impact of mining?

Mining can pollute air and drinking water, harm wildlife and habitat, and permanently scar natural landscapes. Modern mines as well as abandoned mines are responsible for significant environmental damage throughout the West.

What were the 5 reasons for westward expansion?

What were 5 reasons for westward expansion? free land railroad gold and silver adventure and opportunity cattle
What were some challenges the cowboys faced on the long drive? Violent storms, wind, rain, moving rivers, stampedes, rustlers, hot sun, discrimination, and 15 hours on the saddle

What was the greatest contributor to the development of the West?

Overview. Land, mining, and improved transportation by rail brought settlers to the American West during the Gilded Age. New agricultural machinery allowed farmers to increase crop yields with less labor, but falling prices and rising expenses left them in debt.

What are the effect of mining?

The effects can result in erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by the chemicals emitted from mining processes. These processes also affect the atmosphere from the emissions of carbon which have an effect on the quality of human health and biodiversity.

What are benefits of mining?

Aside from supporting thousands of jobs, the mining industry provides raw materials, minerals and metals critical to our economy. They provide the foundations for modern living, innovation and engineering achievements. Take platinum, for example; it is used in more than 20 percent of all manufactured goods.

What technologies influenced westward expansion?

During the 19th century, the technologies that most influenced westward expansion were the telegraph and railroad. Prior to the expansion of the railroad westward, traveling out West was a long and dangerous undertaking. It was also difficult to ship commodities back east for a profit.

What was a key difference between why most farmers and miners went out west?

What was a key difference between why most farmers and miners went out west? Miners wanted to leave as soon as they found enough gold, while farmers wanted to own land and settle permanently.

How does mining impact society?

Some of the negative impacts of mining are loss of vegetation cover, mass destruction of water bodies, loss of biodiversity, land-use changes and food insecurity, increased social vices and conflicts, high cost of living, and air pollution.

What technological advances changed farming and mining in the West?

The railroads dramatically changed the economic viability of the West. The "iron horses" led to the development and economic prosperity of new towns, helping support the success of many farms and industries.

How did the steel plow impact westward expansion?

Historians agree that the steel plow helped the American West develop at a fast rate. When it is easier to grow crops, more food is produced, and the population can grow. As technology progressed, the plow evolved and helped people carry out various functions on a farm.

How was the westward expansion successful?

The canal and railroad systems, which grew up in the North, facilitated a much larger volume of trade and manufacturing while reducing costs a great deal. Great cities sprang up throughout the North and Northwest, bolstered by the improvement in transportation.

How did technology change the West?

Inventions helped determine the very shape of the West. The telegraph instantly connected Americans across thousands of miles railroads killed some towns and gave birth to others the gun quickly established the settlers' dominance over the country and barbed wire created vast ranching empires.

What helped the westward expansion movement?

The California Gold Rush was a major factor in expansion west of the Mississippi. That westward expansion was greatly aided by the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, and passage of the Homestead Act in 1862.

Which industries had the greatest impact on westward expansion and why?

Land, mining, and improved transportation by rail brought settlers to the American West during the Gilded Age. New agricultural machinery allowed farmers to increase crop yields with less labor, but falling prices and rising expenses left them in debt.