Mineral rushes

Georgia Gold Rush (1831)

-causes Cherokee to be pushed off their land in wake

-in the end they flee to Spanish Texas (with concessions)

Pikes Peak Gold Rush (1878)

-people are tapping for minerals there, but largely excluded from settlement

-later than OTL due to northward transcontinental railroad

-following the Liberty and Union War (1868-76), big push to tap for gold discovers a lot there

-large-scale settlement proceeds there pushed by govt, sees rise of Cherisia [Denver]

-which turns almost overnight into largest US city in the Interior

-sees US's Wars > White Knight rebellions (1878-94)

-declaration of unrecognized "Territory of Lowndes" with southern involvement

-despite its claims of loyalty deemed treasonous

-US Army marches there, territory largely destroyed by itself but White Knight remnant there crushed

-sees nationalization of gold areas

Washingtonia Gold Rush (1882)

-in wake of Pikes Peak tapping of nearby rivers, discovered all across Washingtonia [western Montana, Wyoming]and populates it

Black Hills Gold Rush (1902)

-last, great gold rush

-discovery sees war with Sioux that pushes them from Black Hills reservation into North-West Indian Territory

-treaty recognizing it only ratified in 1905 as part of arrangement to grant statehood to Minasota