Colorado and the Silver Crash: The Panic of 1893

by John F. Steinle

A catastrophic depression engulfed Colorado in 1893. The government's decision to adopt the gold standard and stop buying silver hit the mining industry like a cave-in. Unemployment reached 90 percent in Leadville, a city built on silver. Strikes by union miners in Cripple Creek and Leadville led to destruction and death. Political parties split along battle lines of gold versus silver. By 1898, the country had begun to recover, but silver mining was never the same. Using firsthand commentary and more than one hundred historic photographs, John Steinle skillfully commemorates the story of Coloradans trapped in the unprecedented social, economic and political conflict of America's first great depression.

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2021

Reviews

[timv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a detailed history of mining in Colorado through the panic of 1893 and the dependence of many mining communities in the mountains of Colorado upon the price of silver which was at times regulated by the United States government. Communities like Leadville, Silverton, Aspen, Georgetown, and Creede were all economically dependent on the viability of their silver mines.

This is also a book about the labor unrest and labor battles between the Mineworkers and the mine owners and the introduction of unionization (with an emphasis on Leadville). I think for most people the working conditions in the mines and the pittance of a wage they earned will be eye-opening as was the fact that the Colorado militia had to be called out many times to shut down the violence.

I enjoyed reading this book and it is punctuated by many high-quality photos from the late 1800s. This is a portion of the history of Colorado that deserves wider recognition.