Some commodities command massive economic, social, and political influence. This title examines the business around gold, one of the most sought-after and valuable metals on Earth. It explores gold's historical significance as a monetary standard and as the motivator for boom-or-bust expansion as well as gold's contemporary ties to underdeveloped economies, the environment, and technological innovation. Features include essential facts, a glossary,...

This book describes how gold was discovered in California, how miners traveled to the gold fields, how they sought gold or found riches other ways, and their impact on California.

One Nation Under Gold begins with the nation’s founding in the 1770s, when the new republic erupted with bitter debates over the implementation of paper currency in lieu of metal coins. Concerned that the colonies’ thirteen separate currencies would only lead to confusion and chaos, some Founding Fathers believed that a national currency would not only unify the fledgling nation but provide a perfect solution for a country that was believed to...

A diary account of fourteen-year-old Susanna Fairchild's life in 1849, when her father succumbs to gold fever on the way to establish his medical practice in Oregon after losing his wife and money on their steamship journey from New York. Includes a historical note.

Lee Westfall, a young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold, must flee her home to avoid people who would abuse her powers, so when her best friend Jefferson heads out across Gold Rush-era America to stake his claim, she disguises herself as a boy and sets out on her own dangerous journey.

The adventures of an unusual dog, part St. Bernard, part Scotch shepherd, that is forcibly taken to the Klondike gold fields where he eventually becomes the leader of a wolf pack.

"From the lost empires of the Sahara to today's frenzied global gold rush, a blazing exploration of the human love affair with gold by the award-winning author of Diamond. Since the 2008 financial crisis, the price of gold has skyrocketed--in three years more than doubling from $800 an ounce to $1900. This massive spike kicked off an unprecedented global gold-mining and exploration boom, much bigger than the Gold Rush of the 1800s. In Gold, acclaimed...

"Read about when gold was discovered in California, and how this triggered one of the most amazing migrations in history"--Provided by publisher.

Classic Chaplin (the Little Tramp) prospects for gold, gets involved with a dance hall girl, and deals with a burly competitor during the Yukon gold rush