California Gold Rush

Presentation by Mark Eifler. Traditionally we think of the gold rush as being about unattached young men on a lark. In fact they were closely tied to family, and they struggled with the meaning of "success." We look at three young men whose letters reveal the California rush in a new light: one who was a stunning success, one who was a horrific failure, and one who never really understood if he had succeeded or failed. Together, the three stories tell us strike themes that still ring true today. Mark Eifler received his Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley. He now teaches at the University of Portland.