The 19th century Gold Rush Era defined countries such as South Africa, Australia, United States, and others, profoundly. The culture that was formed after it is still alive and developing further with the aspirations of the people being in many cases the same. Today, the Frontier is a bit different, but serving the same purpose.
South Africa
The 1886 Witwatersrand Gold Rush is an often overlooked story in the popular Western narratives about famous 19th-century gold rushes. There is no good reason not to take this story into account – as it is an excellent example of how deep of an impact such events had, and in a way still have.
Almost nothing about this historical event is neglectable. Starting with the fact that it resulted from the discovery of the world’s largest gold deposit and soon developed into the most massive gold rush in world history.
The consequences of this event were equally huge and historical. It directly led to the start of the Second Boer War 1899–1902. The failed British attempt to take control of the goldfields (Jameson Raid) turned into a full war between them and Afrikaan Boers. On the other hand, another direct development that came out of the gold rush was the founding of the city of Johannesburg, one of the most important cities in the world.
Australia
When on February 12th, 1851, a prospector found gold near Bathurst (New South Wales), the Australian Gold Rush began. This event had a deep influence on Australian culture, and in some way even defined its identity.
After the discovery, more than 500,000 prospectors rushed to the area. These immigrants came from all over the world in the hopes they will get rich. Diggers from China, Poland, the US, Germany, and the UK, were working tirelessly next to each other, shoulder to shoulder. An even greater number of them arrived from other parts of Australia. This event led directly to the establishment of the Australian national identity.
The later Western Australia Gold Rushes (1885-93) had an even greater impact on Australian popular culture. This, almost a decade-long, process resulted in a dramatic development of Western Australia – the largest state in Australia, and the local equivalent of the American Wild West.
United States
In 1848, while overseeing the construction of a sawmill in the Sierra Nevada foothills, James Marshall discovered gold. Rumours travelled quickly, and soon they reached the nearby city of San Francisco.
By spring, the city was almost empty: San Franciscans occupied the Sierra Nevada foothills area, completely consumed by gold fever. The legend says this happened after businessman Sam Brannan shouted “Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!” while walking in the centre of the city and carrying a bottle filled with gold flakes.
Soon, many small towns were completely abandoned and only three months after the discovery the river was full of people sifting through the streams and dirt: more than 4000 people were employed in the goldfields. But when in December the President of the US himself confirmed the rumours by stating “the explorations already made warrant the belief that the supply is very large and that gold is found at various places in an extensive district of the country”, things really started to get crazy. By the end of 1849, there were more than 50,000 miners in the area. Next year that number doubled.
This was the beginning of the rise of California, which made this state the wealthiest in the US, and one of the largest economies in the world.
Gold Rushes and British Colonies
All of the places that were in the 19th century the settings for some of the biggest gold rushes were (mostly British) colonies. This means that they were vast unexplored areas with huge numbers of immigrants moving in – many with hopes of getting rich. These colonies, especially areas such as California, South Africa, or Western Australia, were seen as “Frontiers” – still not completely conquered vast areas ripe for development, full of opportunities to get rich.
This meant that such areas were very attractive for people, coming from other areas of the colony, and the rest of the World, who were trying to find a place for themselves. Gold Rushes were completely in tune with such aspirations and further helped in developing a specific frontier culture. This phenomenon had many different names, one of which was the Californian Dream – a term that was used to designate a strong motivation to gain fast wealth or fame in a new land.
This culture very much defines countries such as Australia, South Africa, and the US to this day. One of the manifestations of it is the huge popularity of gambling (and often high-stakes gambling). For example, the Australian anti-gambling campaigner Tim Costello stated that every critical comment on gambling in the country needs to start with a statement such as: “Like every Australian, I enjoy a bet on the Melbourne Cup …”.
Other former colonies are no exception, like for example South Africa. The country is home to significant numbers of regular casino players who, in order to find their ‘golden treasures’ turn to high-roller casinos that offer higher than average stakes. With these players in mind, these casinos offer higher deposit and withdrawal limits and loyalty programs for those who are in for big money turnarounds. The Australian and South African examples only speak to the ‘get-rich-quick’ mentality of the Gold Rush Era, which is still widespread among former British Colonies and other countries that experienced the Gold Rushes.
The Gold Rush era was a manifestation and consequence of aspirations for gaining fast wealth in new and still not completely explored lands. In turn, these events helped to further develop an entrepreneurial culture in the former colonies. In the age of the Internet, this culture is still alive but manifests in very different ways. This shows us how when we study history, distant events can start to appear more and more recognizable and relatable as we get acquainted with the aspirations and motivations that stood behind them.
