S2 Gold Fever: The Welsh In The Gold Rush To British Columbia with Gethin Matthews ~  Seminar speaker Two Gold Rushes to the British territories on the North Pacific coast of America were responsible for establishing the colony of British Columbia. The second event, known as the Cariboo Gold Rush, created great excitement in certain parts of Wales in the Spring of 1862, and prompted an exodus of adventurous young men that can justifiably be called a ‘stampede’. This talk will examine the background to this emigration movement, tracing the flow of information from the gold-fields to the South Wales valleys, looking at what kind of men were enticed to seek their fortune in British Columbia and investigating the patterns of departure. In addition, a large number of Welsh-Americans were lured to Cariboo to seek their fortunes. Most of these ventured north from the Californian gold-fields, and it has become clear that the majority had connections with the Welsh communities in Pennsylvania. The Welsh community in the Cariboo gold-fields numbered several hundred at its peak, and many aspects of their lives are revealed in a series of letters published in contemporary Welsh newspapers. This treasure-trove of information is examined for what it divulges about the men’s outlook on life, and their attitudes on questions such as national identity.  Sponsored anonymously.