Remembering Charley Parkhurst: New Opportunities in Gold Rush Era California
Source: Berkeley History-Social Science Project
Subject: History
Topic: Integrated
Grade Levels: Elementary School: 4th Grade
Overview:
This inquiry-based lesson explores the life of Charley Parkhurst, who was born female but lived, and gained fame, as a stagecoach driver in late nineteenth century California. The lesson is envisioned as one, among several, that would explore the consequences of the Gold Rush and statehood in California. This lesson centers around gender expression, within a broader conversation about opportunities available to migrants to California during the Gold Rush Era.