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‘Recollections of a 49er’
In 1849 Edward McIlhany, aged 20, left West Virginia for the California gold fields. ‘Recollections of a 49er’ is the memoir of the 80 year old Edward. He describes his overland journey to California where he prospected for gold on Feather River and…
‘The Ballard of Sweet Betsy from Pike’
‘Sweet Betsy from Pike’ is an American ballad about a pioneer named Betsy and her lover Ike who migrated from Pike County to California during the gold rush. There are Pike Counties in both Missouri and Illinois from where many gold seekers began…
‘The General Laws of the State of California from 1850 to 1864’
This is a manuscript of California state laws. It outlines the inalienable rights of its citizens, social, political and personal prohibitions, as well as local legislation. Slavery was prohibited unless it was a punishment for a crime, the fugitive…
A First Nations Family with Sluice boxes and rockers; Looking for gold on the Fraser River
This image shows a group of 7 First Nation people searching for gold in the Fraser River. Both men and women are active in the search for gold on the river beds. The Author is described as the British Columbia Provincial secretary, suggesting that…
Barbary Coast Women
A landscape black and white photograph by Martin Behrman shot in the Barbary Coast in 1890 showing eleven women sitting together. Nine dressed in white, which could potentially be due to their profession in Barberry coast and depicted as ‘soiled…
Big Bend Gold Mines
This source is an advertisement targeted towards miners, promoting a government subsidised transport links from San Francisco to Victoria and New Westminster. The advert says that there is a ‘splendid Government Wagon Road’ from Yale to Savana Ferry.…
Blanshard to Earl Grey
This document, written in 1850, describes a very different situation at Fort Rupert then that of the previous source pertaining to this location. Richard Blanshard, Governor of Vancouver Island, sends a dispatch to London, notifying them of the death…
Cheque of Jewish Owned Cochise County Bank in Tombstone Sends Money to and From Jewish Merchants
A cheque in coloured ink for £150, issued at Cochise County Bank on behalf of A. Cohen. The cheque was issued by Cochise County Bank, a family run Jewish owned bank in Arizona. That receiving the cheque, by the name of A. Cohen, is a Jewish…
Chinamen washing for Gold near Northbend
The dry plate image, which is creased and is fading, still tells us enough about the Chinese immigrants who were transported on the trains, working to find gold through traditional means of washing for gold. Due to the efforts of the Canadian…
Chinese immigrant’s identity information
This notebook was owned by John Mason and contains a list of Chinese immigrants and their details. These details then matched identity cards each immigrant was required to carry. The large majority are males, mainly because women and children were…