Read this excerpt from The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Because men, groping in the Arctic darkness, had found a yellow metal, and because steamship and transportation companies were booming the find, thousands of men were rushing into the Northland. What does the excerpt reveal about the historical context of the story? The story takes place before the invention of the automobile. The story takes place during a period of factory modernization. The story takes place during a period of fast-paced exploration. The story takes place about the time ship building began in America.