Recommended Website:
Gold Rush
In 1998 the Oakland Museum of California unveiled an exhibit to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the discovery of gold in California that led to a migration of people that changed the world forever. At this website, you can take a multimedia tour of the original exhibit that documents the Gold Rush through simple text, photographs, panographic illustrations, and an audio program. From the discovery of gold, to how the news spread, to the life of miners, prospectors, and Chinese laborers, to the development of commerce and entertainment in San Francisco and Los Angeles, this exhibit gives a good overview of every aspect of the California Gold Rush era.
The site is divided into a number of subsections and for a comprehensive understanding of the Gold Rush era, you should visit all of them. When you get to the site you can click on any of the icons and take a virtual tour of that portion of the exhibit including:
- Gold Fever
- Art of the Gold Rush
- Silver & Gold
- Natives & Immigrants
- Curriculum Materials
- Fonseca Paintings
Click on any of the above options, and a new page appears with a “click here” button to start the tour of that section, along with advice to explore the menu buttons on that page that include primary source documents, stories and tales from the era, and even a quiz so you can test your knowledge of Gold Rush history. Definitely click on “Maximize Web Visit” for a simple explanation of the icons that give you access to the multimedia aspects of the tour.
You might want to start your visit of this site with a tour of the sections called “Gold Fever” and then use your back button and various links to explore the rest of the site. You will need time to explore all of the exhibits — so you might want to bookmark the site, and visit one each day or as needed.
For those of you who would like worksheets and curriculum suggestions visit “Curriculum Materials” to get ideas for lesson plans, activities and discussion on Gold Rush history, that can be enhanced by this online exhibit.
