Talk:California Gold Rush/archive2

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Archive This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

Contents

GA

Well done all who have contributed to this article! I have just classed it as a GA. Pity about the recent vandalism. Anyway, the criteria:

Well written: Yes

Factually accurate and verifiable: Excellently referenced, with a wide variety of external links too. Yes

Broad in its coverage: With sections on the origins, the different stages of the rush, what it meant for CA today, and historical analysis, the answer is yes

NPOV: Yup

Stable: Yes

Pictures: Not strictly a requirement, so yes!

I do have some minor quibbles. I feel that the "Discovery of Gold" section is a misnomer, as in its later stages it talks about the end of the Rush - this has nothing to do with the initial discovery or the Rush in its first stages. The end of the "Discovery" section and the beginning of the "49ers" section overlap a bit. "Argonauts" is spelt with both a capital A and a lower case a - yes, I am a pedant!

These cannot stop GA, though, and nor should they. Well done again! Chrisfow 19:43, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

Thank you for your thoughtful attention, and kind words. Careful reading is always appreciated - "Argonauts" is a proper noun in this context, and has now been capitalized throughout. Thank you very much again!NorCalHistory 06:13, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

FA nomination for California Gold Rush article

The California Gold Rush article has been nominated for Featured article status. If you would like to comment on this nomination, please go here to leave your comment. To leave a comment on that page, click the [edit] link to the right of the title California Gold Rush.NorCalHistory 20:00, 2 December 2006 (UTC)

Thank you to everyone

Thank you to the dozens of people who made material contributions and suggestions for this article - a well-deserved round of congratulations for all the hard work that resulted in Featured Article status.NorCalHistory 02:19, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

Rail transport in United States

Rail transport in the United States is not actually the best link, because the first railway that was built as a result of the Gold Rush was the Panama Railway across the Isthmus of Panama. NorCalHistory 22:37, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

Which one would you recommend? Ronbo76 22:40, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

Well, there isn't a perfect one, so the general Rail transport is about the best I can find. Any other suggestions? NorCalHistory 22:50, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

The one I like is hidden as a link in the blue infobox under the Golden Poppy: California and the railroads. I'd recommend we unlink that one and substitute with the one recommended by NorCalHistory. It even mentions the Panama connection as per your original thought to change the link that was changed. Ronbo76 22:55, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

California and the railroads actually looks pretty good for this context (that article could use some touching up, but not so much that the link shouldn't go here). Any other suggestions? NorCalHistory 23:13, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

1849 in the blue side banner and category - could be in error and needs correction.

The Gold Rush started in '48 which leads me to believe the side banner is incorrect. I could see how that could be editted. Also, the category at the bottom reads something like the 1849 year. It might need to read multiple years or the more definite 1848 year. Ronbo76 02:54, 9 February 2007 (UTC)

Fixed. It was just a quick edit to {{CAhistory}}. BlankVerse 15:13, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Main page appearance coming in about 48 hours

As you may be aware, this article is set to be the Main page Featured article in about 48 hours, beginning at midnight UTC, February 14, 2007. You are probably also know that Main page articles typically undergo substantial vandalism beginning about now, peaking during the Main page appearance, and continuing for some days after. Assistance from all who are watching this article is very much appreciated during these next five days or so! NorCalHistory 23:37, 11 February 2007 (UTC)

PBS link retired - see *The Gold Rush: fun facts

The link has been retired but has a clickable link to The Gold Rush which has much of the same info about the PBS program (now on DVD), fun facts, etal. Ronbo76 21:18, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Main page appearance in about 6 hours

Thankfully light vandalism as we approach going live on the Main page in less than 6 hours. Thank you to our sturdy vandal patrol! NorCalHistory 18:20, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Drive-by edit

Well, we've had a visit from a drive-by editor, just 90 minutes before going up on the Main page. Fortunately, most of these edits are harmless. I'm just going to revert the ones that don't help or are awkward writing, etc. The balance of these drive-by edits I'll save for discussion after the article's off the Main page. NorCalHistory 22:28, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Request no further substantive changes to this article for several days

This article goes live as the Main page Featured article in one hour. We are already starting to deal with vandals. Trying to make substantive changes is likely to cause edit conflicts. In addition, editors may find it helpful to review the FA, GA, and peer review discussions before making changes. This is a mature article, and bringing proposed changes to this Talk page first is especially appreciated! NorCalHistory 23:08, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

The page needs to be edited.

The article has been vandalised in the first paragraph. Can someone try to edit the text? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 203.117.165.66 (talk) 02:14, 14 February 2007 (UTC).

What is the problem? Ronbo76 02:15, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

citation needed for harm from gold mining?

Wow, great!

1. I see a "citation needed" ... will either of these work: [ http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb2/news_items/50.doc] Cites first court case against hydraulic mining in the Sierra Nevada, in 1884.

Later in the gold mining history of California, after the "Rush" years, the invention of Gold_cyanidation led to another deeply ugly environmental effect which continues in modern gold mines in Calif and elsewhere.

Also --

2. The passage about Native Americans in California gives an odd impression. California tribes outside of the regions of the Spanish Missions were driven out of various areas by the newcomers, but in general they did not organize to fight back. The Modocs were considered highly unusual in their resistance. How much it had to do with mining is also a fair question. See Modoc_Wars to decide.

Cheers!

Gailwilliams 03:45, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Hargraves para removed

I removed the following section for several reasons. First, it was incorrectly placed, whacking out the table of contents. Second, unreferenced. Third, tangential to the focus of this article (FA criteria requires that topic stays tightly focused); this text would be better placed in the article about Edward Hargraves, and perhaps linked to this article via a See also. Fourth, the text needs copyediting. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 04:23, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

California's connection to the Australian goldfields

- Many Australians came to California in search of gold in 1849. One such 'forty-niner', Edward Hargraves was so "very forcible impressed" by the similarity of New South Wales with California, that he wrote, in March 1850, to a friend in Sydney, saying he was returning to look for gold. Arriving in Australia, Hargraves had knowledge of the Californian method of panning and cradle rocking. By May 1851, he discovered payable gold in New South Wales. By the end of 1851, the Australian great gold-rushes were underway in Victoria and New South Wales. The Australian gold discoveries were described in the Times as "We have a California of our own". Many of California's 'forty-niners' rushed to Australia's goldfields. Some Americans like Freeman Cobb of Cobb & Co. coaches, helped build cites like Melbourne and make Australian history.(R.M. Younger)

The source has now been added to Further reading; I'm placing it here so it can be employed in the Edward Hargraves article.
  • Younger, R.M. 'Wonderous Gold' in Australia and the Australians: A New Concise History, Rigby, Sydney, 1970
SandyGeorgia (Talk) 04:29, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Citation needed in lead section

All the facts in the lead section are extensively referenced in the body of the article. Please see extensive citations in the body of the article, including specific information relating this last sentence. NorCalHistory 04:47, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Concur. Prior to being Featured, User:NorCalHistory, User:SandyGeorgia etal. did substantial copyedits to this article, proofing it to the utmost. Thanks NorCalHistory and SandyGeorgia! Ronbo76 04:50, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Good faith edits to California Gold Rush

Please see the paragraph prior to this one. Prior to becoming a featured article, the California Gold Rush was proofed by many members of the WP:CAL project to include noteably user:NorCalHistory which was followed by a copyedit yesterday afternoon by user:MisfitToys and follow-on edits by user:SandyGeorgia. Ronbo76 11:13, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

Please see Wikipedia:Featured article criteria about edits to this article while it is on featured status. Thanks, Ronbo76 11:56, 14 February 2007 (UTC)