Dame Shirley and the Gold Rush: Student Reader

by Jim Rawls, James J. Rawls, Steck-Vaughn

Relates how a series of letters, written by a woman known as Dame Shirley and published in a San Francisco magazine in 1854 and 1855, were instrumental in inciting the California gold rush. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811480623
• ISBN13: 9780811480628
• Release Date: October 1992
• Publisher: Steck-Vaughn
• Length: 55 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.4" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

"Dame Shirley" as a Gold Rush Source

Jim Rawls's book is a wonderful resource for children to study the reality of the typical mining town from heyday to ghost town. It includes a general description of the hardships endured by the miners as well as several examples of the effects of prejudice (and too much whiskey!) on the many "foreign" miners. I would have liked to see a few more direct quotes from the Dame Shirley letters, but the information is given using age-appropriate language and length. Definitely worth the time to read.