Question

Foodstuffs sold for high prices in Denver because most of the supplies needed by gold miners in the area had to be brought to the territory by wagon train.

a) According to the author, food items were more expensive in Denver because the supplies had to be delivered by the wagon train.
b) Foodstuffs cost a lot of money in Denver because gold miners that needed supplies in the area had them brought into the territory by wagon train.
c) Food and other stuff sold for a great deal of money in Denver due to the fact that gold miners in the area depended on supplies carried into the territory by wagon train.
d) Food sold for high prices in Denver because gold miners in the territory had enough money to bring in supplies by wagon train.

Answer 1

Foodstuffs were sold for high prices in Denver because supplies had to be transported by wagon train, which was less efficient and more costly than other methods. Denver's development into a permanent settlement and mining hub further increased the cost of living. The expensive supplies reflect transportation logistics, not just the miners' ability to pay.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason food items were expensive in Denver during the height of mining ventures was due to the logistics involved in supplying the gold miners. As mining operations grew, so did the need for supplies, including food, to be brought in by wagon train. The transportation method used was less efficient and more costly than later advancements such as railroads, which hindered the rapid and cost-effective distribution of goods.

Additionally, the early West's transportation infrastructure was less developed, and goods like food items often had to be brought over long distances with significant effort and risk. With Denver becoming a permanent settlement and urban center for these mining operations due to its strategic location, the cost of living, including food prices, reflected these logistical challenges.

Given this historical context, it becomes clear that food supplies commanded high prices not so much because of the wealth of the miners, but due to the practical realities of supply transportation and the shift from individual mining ventures to larger, capital-intensive operations that created urban centers like Denver.