Gold and Cow towns – settling in the American West Essay Example

due to tough living conditions and competition. Miners resided in primitive tents or basic wooden cabins leading to the rapid spread of diseases such as fever, typhoid, and cholera. The close proximity of individuals in crowded areas like bars created an easy environment for diseases to spread, possibly exacerbated by the sharing of glasses. Additionally, excessive drinking led to fights and arguments, sometimes over prostitutes.

The miners in the gold towns often found themselves fighting over land and gold due to their frustration and drunkenness. In their free time, they frequently sought companionship with prostitutes or visited the saloons that had been specially built for them. This was a profitable venture for local peasants, as the miners were often lonely living on their own. However, loneliness and feelings of depression led many miners towards seeking solace in the arms of prostitutes. Unfortunately, life in the west was not as easy as they had hoped, complicating matters even further. A significant problem contributing to disease was the gender imbalance within the mining communities. With more men than women present, there was no need for traditional household makers, and many miners did not have comfortable homes. These factors contributed to ongoing problems that remained unsolved due to this gender imbalance.

The discomfort of the homes caused frustration and facilitated the spread of disease. Overcrowding worsened this issue, as it put pressure on resources such as water, food, and housing. This led to overcrowding in the west as people left the east seeking better conditions and wealth. Usually, local governments are responsible for providing proper public health systems, including piped water and safe sewage disposal. Without this organization, basic

water supplies added to public health problems. Due to a lack of piped water, people had to resort to drinking from polluted rivers that were also used for sewage disposal.

The pollution of rivers forced people to use them for drinking, resulting in diseases. Miners sought companionship in prostitutes and bars due to loneliness, but shopkeepers and bar owners charged exorbitant prices for goods. For example, a pair of shoes costing $8 in California would cost $75 in New York. The high cost of living was difficult for miners who earned only $20 while facing an $18 expense. Even the few who found gold struggled with expenses. Cow Towns had a greater gender imbalance than gold towns where families lived.

During the early days, cowboys were primarily young single men without family connections. In these towns, it was common for prostitutes to be the only women present, lured by potential customers. Although gold towns and cow towns had distinct challenges, they shared a transitory quality. This was due to the fact that when the gold reserves were depleted, people abandoned the town and moved on, leaving behind desolate ghost towns. On the other hand, cow towns faced a different issue.

During the cattle-selling season, which lasted for only six weeks each year, cow towns were bustling. However, a significant issue that arose was racism towards minorities working in mining towns. Despite individuals from diverse backgrounds such as Mexicans, Chinese, Irish, Black, and Indians contributing to the workforce, white Americans exhibited discriminatory behavior by imposing higher taxes on foreign miners. This mentality of superiority resulted in the start of racial discrimination.

Racism was prevalent in the mining areas

due to the existence of slavery until 1865 and the majority of gold discoveries made prior to this time period. The foreign miners were required to pay additional taxes which the "white" Americans refused to work with other ethnic groups, making it even more difficult for immigrant workers. The lack of law and order systems in the west created an additional problem. As people only came for the gold, they would all leave the area once all the gold was gone. Such deserted places were referred to as ghost towns. This constant migration made it challenging for a town to have 5000 people or a territory to have 60 000 people to establish their own government.

Due to the vast size of the territory and the absence of railways, it was challenging for US marshals to maintain control, causing many illegal activities to go unnoticed or for criminals to escape before senior officials could intervene. Living in a newly established western town can prove difficult due to multiple factors including poverty, racism towards immigrant workers, overpopulation leading to disease, limited resources like water, food and housing, exploitation, a deficient legal system and feelings of loneliness. Therefore, life in these areas is often challenging instead of improving.

Extracting gold proved to be a challenge as there was limited quantity near the surface. Consequently, companies had to resort to expensive underground mining. This led to a situation where the already wealthy companies managed to increase their financial gains further while the newly established companies failed to make headway. Moreover, the mines employed miners who lived in unfavorable conditions and were compensated meager wages. Thus, the situation

remained unfavorable for new entrants.

The absence of law and order systems resulted in people taking matters into their own hands, leading to the rise of lynching. Racism targeted foreign miners who were subjected to higher taxes and exploitation, which was exacerbated by the exorbitant prices charged by bar owners and shopkeepers. The miners had no choice but to pay these prices. Additionally, the miners' loneliness and frustration fueled their drinking habits and drove them towards high-priced prostitutes. Consequently, despite working under harsh conditions, the miners received minimal compensation.

In the newly established towns of the West, life became more challenging due to the low pay and poor working conditions offered by mining companies. These companies only hired miners, who were paid poorly, making the company owners richer while everyday people suffered. This resulted in difficult living conditions for most of the population. Despite this, a small number of individuals experienced improvements in their lives.