Gold rushes are often remembered as spontaneous stampedes driven by luck and greed. In reality, they were carefully orchestrated events. This talk explores how gold rushes in the Rocky Mountain West were made possible through federal policies, transportation networks, military protection and financial systems. Drawing on his research on the Montana gold rush, Kent Curtis shows how these rushes were not accidents but organized transformations that reshaped landscapes, Indigenous lands and regional economies. Viewing gold rushes this way offers insight into how extractive booms — past and present — are created and who benefits from them.
Curtis is an environmental historian at Ohio State University. His work examines how natural resources, technology and political power have shaped American landscapes. He has written extensively on mining, energy, agriculture and environmental change, with a focus on how large systems, such as gold rushes or food networks, are deliberately constructed rather than naturally occurring. In addition to his academic research, Curtis collaborates with farmers and community organizations to develop practical, sustainable food systems in the Midwest. His work bridges history, public engagement and applied solutions to contemporary environmental challenges.
