An excellent resource for teachers, homeschool groups, field trips and more, this book covers the history of America's fascination with gold. Starting with the conquistadors roaming around the American Southwest all the way to modern day, this book has 41 hand drawn illustrations suitable for coloring, with a full page of text and additional resource information to match each picture. Topics include the California Gold Rush, Life on the trail, the start of boomtowns across California and Alaska, Mark Twain and John Studebaker, Native Americans, the Chinese immigrants, hydraulic mining, drift mining, stamp mills, homesteading, suction dredging and metal detectors. The wide range of topics is sure to please everyone, with an excellent overview of how mining is accomplished today concerning environmental regulation, reclamation projects and more. This book is appropriate for all ages.