Historical Question
Dear Folk,
The introduction to Virginia City says the story is based on fact, but names have been changed (or something similar). What are the historical facts, names, etc. this movie is based on?
Thanks,
Mike
as indicated in the movie Virginia City, Nevada was the home of the infamous Comstock Lode and there were at least three large productive gold/silver mines owned by Confederate sympathizers who were willing to finance the war effort.
"Gold mixed with high quality silver ore was recovered in quantities large enough to catch the eye of President Abe Lincoln. He needed the gold and silver to keep the Union solvent during the Civil War. On October 31, 1864 Lincoln made Nevada a state although it did not contain enough people to constitutionally authorize statehood."
"The resulting boom turned Virginny Town into Virginia City, the most important settlement between Denver and San Francisco; and the grubby prospectors into instant millionaires who built mansions, imported furniture and fashions from Europe and the Orient, and financed the Civil War."
as for the details like names, etc. i suggest this url as a start:
http://www.vcnevada.com/history.htm
"only one food for the rest of my life? That's easy, cherry-flavored Pez. No question about it."
Always makes a difference, I think, if a story has a good historical basis. Part of the huge disappointment of rewatching Bonanza, for example -- set in Virginia City just at that period, 1859-60, at least in the earlier series -- was, except for the very occasional mention of silver, how the producers seemed to studiously avoid historical context like the Civil War (unlike Rawhide, set in Texas) in favor of generic horse (soap) opera themes.
shareI agree with you, but there are a few memorable episodes of Bonanza when they were historically written much to my surprise. For instance there was one based on a river boat on Lake Tahoe. This made me roll my eyes until I looked it up. Also there was recurring character called the Emperor of the United States who visited Virginia City and the Ponderosa. So there was some interest in history.
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