Artisanal gold-rush mining and frontier democracy: Juxtaposing experiences in America, Australia, Africa and Asia

Abstract

Gold rushes dramatically heighten people’s expectations of the future. Not all societies value gold, but in those where gold is viewed as a source of wealth accumulation, adornment and enduring economic value, news of the discovery of gold is irresistibly enticing for many. Most of those who succumb have no previous mining experience, and unwittingly enter an occupational transformation with unpredictable outcomes. The compulsive force of the gold rush phenomenon rests on mounting hype and hope of both local and migrant populations. The nineteenth-century gold rushes of California and Australia gave rise to a rich and varied literature based on