James Boisclair
Encyclopedia
James Boisclair was an African American
gold
miner who achieved notable fame and success during the Georgia Gold Rush
. Boisclair was known as "Free Jim" and was highly regarded at the time for his entrepreneurial work and part-time efforts as a preacher.
While panning for gold, Boisclair found an impressive vein of ore and used his successful finding to build a large general store in Dahlonega, Georgia.
Other Boisclair achievements of the time included his building of an ice house and popular saloon, despite the fact that all of his establishments faced problems because the laws of the time prevented black men from buying real estate or holding a liquor license. Boisclair was able to get around the laws with the aid of white men sympathetic to his cause.
in a search for fortune in the new gold rush, and in 1850 Boisclair took his entrepreneurial efforts to a new level by hiring fifty men to come help him mine for gold.
At age 46 Boisclair died after being shot during an argument over a disputed gold claim, but his legacy lives on Dahlonega, and the old mine he worked in for 10 years is known as "Free Jim" in his honor.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
miner who achieved notable fame and success during the Georgia Gold Rush
Georgia Gold Rush
The Georgia Gold Rush was the second significant gold rush in the United States. It started in 1828 in the present day Lumpkin County near county seat Dahlonega, and soon spread through the North Georgia mountains, following the Georgia Gold Belt. By the early 1840s, gold became harder to find...
. Boisclair was known as "Free Jim" and was highly regarded at the time for his entrepreneurial work and part-time efforts as a preacher.
While panning for gold, Boisclair found an impressive vein of ore and used his successful finding to build a large general store in Dahlonega, Georgia.
Other Boisclair achievements of the time included his building of an ice house and popular saloon, despite the fact that all of his establishments faced problems because the laws of the time prevented black men from buying real estate or holding a liquor license. Boisclair was able to get around the laws with the aid of white men sympathetic to his cause.
Death and legacy
James Boisclair traveled to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in a search for fortune in the new gold rush, and in 1850 Boisclair took his entrepreneurial efforts to a new level by hiring fifty men to come help him mine for gold.
At age 46 Boisclair died after being shot during an argument over a disputed gold claim, but his legacy lives on Dahlonega, and the old mine he worked in for 10 years is known as "Free Jim" in his honor.