In search of large fortunes, thousands of prospectors braved arduous treks west and north by sea and by wagon train to California and the Klondike region. The Gold Rush investigates one of the most thrilling and desperate times in North American history. Exciting text details: - how a claim was staked - how the gold was retrieved by panning, digging or hydraulic mining - the tools used to hit "pay dirt" - how propectors lived in often difficult conditions - what role women and children played - the problem of lawlessness and harsh justice - the violation of the Native peoples' way of life