People living in the West in the late 1800s earned their livelihoods in different ways. The major occupations were mining, ranching (including cowboys), and farming. Native Americans tried to maintain their traditional ways of life. Choose one of these groups and describe the life and experience of an individual in the group.

During the 1800's, miners were drawn to the west because of the prosperous amount of gold and silver that was discovered there. Unfortantly, it took expensive equipment to uncover these precious ores. Large companies bought claims from miners who couldn't afford the equipment that was mandatory for the search. This resulted in large corporations dominating the mining industry.

Since mining became an influential business in the West, conditions became harsh. Miners were equipped, poorly disigned tools and injuries became more common. Tunnels and caves were poorly lit, and oxygen was little. Most candles were unable to lit because of the little oxygen that was provided. Most miners developed serious lung issues which resulted in death. Also, miners were unexpectedly killed from underground springs which flooded these tunnels. Fire was also a great concern due to the high temperature that rose above 130 degrees F.