22.2: Mining in the U.S. and California
- Page ID
- 52317
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\dsum}{\displaystyle\sum\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dint}{\displaystyle\int\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dlim}{\displaystyle\lim\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)
\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)
\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\(\newcommand{\longvect}{\overrightarrow}\)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Mining in the United States and California
Mining is one of the oldest human activities in North America, with roots extending back thousands of years before European contact. The earliest known metalworking in North America began approximately 7,000 years ago, when Native Americans mined copper in hand-dug pits on what is now Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula along Lake Superior. The copper found there was unusual because it formed as native metal rather than as ore, meaning it could be taken directly from the ground without the more labor-intensive extraction processes required elsewhere in the world. Native peoples shaped this copper into tools, fishhooks, jewelry, and other implements, and artifacts made from Keweenaw copper have been found by archaeologists throughout the continent, reflecting the widespread trade networks of prehistoric North America. Thousands of years later, the discovery of gold in California's Sierra Nevada in 1848 would trigger one of the largest mass migrations in American history, fundamentally reshaping the landscape, economy, and population of the American West and establishing California as a center of mineral extraction that continues to the present day.
The California Gold Rush
On the morning of January 24, 1848, carpenter James Marshall noticed shining flecks of metal left behind by water running through the tailrace of a sawmill he was building for John Sutter, setting off the largest gold rush in American history. News of the discovery brought approximately 300,000 people to California from across the United States and abroad, and the consequences were profound and lasting. Rivers became clogged with sediment, forests were cleared for timber, and soil was contaminated by chemicals used in the mining process — an environmental legacy that foreshadowed the challenges of industrial-scale mineral extraction that geologists, land managers, and communities continue to navigate today. In combination, the Mother Lode and the Klamath gold fields produced the modern-day equivalent of more than $25 billion in gold before the turn of the century, and mining operations continued at California's Empire Mine as late as 1956.
Resource Production Today
While gold defined California's mineral identity in the nineteenth century, the United States today produces a remarkably diverse range of geological resources. In 2025, the estimated total value of U.S. nonfuel mineral production reached $112 billion, spanning metals, industrial minerals, and construction materials (Table 1). As the table illustrates, the leading commodities by value are not all metals — crushed stone, portland cement, and sand and gravel together account for more than half of total production value, reflecting the enormous material demands of modern infrastructure.
| Rank | Commodity | Value (Billions USD) | % of U.S. Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crushed Stone | $27.0 | 24% |
| 2 | Gold | $17.0 | 15% |
| 3 | Portland Cement | $17.0 | 15% |
| 4 | Construction Sand and Gravel | $12.6 | 11% |
| 5 | Copper | $11.0 | 10% |
| 6 | Industrial Sand and Gravel | $4.5 | 4.0% |
| 7 | Lime | $4.0 | 3.6% |
| 8 | Iron Ore | $3.38 | 3.0% |
| 9 | Salt | $2.6 | 2.3% |
| 10 | Zinc | $2.2 | 2.0% |
| 11 | Molybdenum | ~$1.9* | ~1.7%* |
| 12 | Phosphate Rock | $1.9 | 1.7% |
| 13 | Soda Ash | $1.8 | 1.6% |
| 14 | Silver | $1.4 | 1.3% |
*The document does not state a specific dollar figure for molybdenum. This value is derived from the reported figure that molybdenum accounted for 5% of total U.S. metals production value ($38.1 billion in 2025). All other values are stated directly in the source document.
References
- California State Parks. (n.d.). Gold Rush overview. https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1081
- Errick, J. (2019, September 26). Exploring 70 centuries of mining history. National Parks Conservation Association. https://www.npca.org/articles/2309-exploring-70-centuries-of-mining-history
- Hayes, G. (2023, September 12). A short mining history and geology of the California Gold Rush. Geotripper. https://geotripper.blogspot.com/2023/09/a-short-mining-history-and-geology-of.html
- Patrich, G. (n.d.). 2.4: California's Gold Rush. In California geography. Geosciences LibreTexts. https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geography_(Physical)/California_Geography_(Patrich)/02:_Californias_Geology/2.04:_CALIFORNIAS_GOLD_RUSH
- U.S. Geological Survey. (2026, April). Mineral commodity summaries 2026 (Version 1.2). U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/mineral-commodity-summaries