171. Gold Rush

Much of our history, especially our western state’s history, is based not upon freedom but greed. This is true with the historical gold rushes of most of the western states. Sometimes, as Americans, we have the view that we are a free people and we can do whatever we want and no one can get in the way of our individual liberties. Of course, the problem with that idea is that there are other people in this world who may also have ideas about their own freedoms. The lust for gold and money has always caused conflict in America and the sense of power that wealth gives to those who think it’s theirs. You see this in the exciting narrative of the old west with the gold rush. You also see it with our sense of meritocracy that is largely based upon the colonial conqueror model that comes largely from Great Britain since it was from them that our existence as a nation began, the idea of who had what first. As long as we feed that myth we will have people follow racist ideologies in America from the ideas of Anglo-Saxon beginnings which almost completely ignore the beginnings of all peoples and their convergence on this land.

Every nationality has recognized the freedom and wealth of America, so when gold was beginning to be discovered in the late nineteenth century during the same time as China was suffering from great famine, many Chinese came to America. They came to America, not to stay, but to get some money to provide for their families. Many gave their lives building the transcontinental railroad, being murdered when they staked claim and made money on reworking discarded mines. The tribalism of America often refused to accept other’s similar desires for gold. I don’t know that that has really changed much.

Most of the American lust for gold is just human nature but I am always interested in how we recover from our greed and work to unite ourselves into the country we are. I think, in spite of all the old west lawlessness of the many western gold rushes, we came away with some pretty great after effects like the transcontinental railroad. It’s never good to see the raw greed people have, but it is amazing what comes from the aftermath. I love the history of our gold rushes and am grateful for what has come from them.