The Comstock Lode is best known for being the richest vein of which mineral ore?

The Comstock Lode is best known for being the richest vein of which mineral ore?

• A. The largest mining company ever formed in the American West.
• B. A vein of gold discovered by prospector Henry Comstock.
• C. The richest vein of silver ore found on the North American continent.
• D. A complicated piece of machinery designed to extract silver from mines.

Answer: (C)

The key idea is recognizing what made the Comstock Lode famous: a massive vein of silver ore. When miners in 1859 found this rich deposit near Virginia City, Nevada, it turned into the most productive silver source in North America, attracting huge investment and fueling a regional boom. The remarkable yields of silver (with some accompanying gold) made it legendary as the richest silver ore vein on the continent. That’s why the best choice points to silver ore rather than gold, a mining company, or a machine. The story isn’t about a single company that formed there, or about gold alone, or about equipment—it’s about the extraordinary silver ore deposit itself and the economic impact it had.

The key idea is recognizing what made the Comstock Lode famous: a massive vein of silver ore. When miners in 1859 found this rich deposit near Virginia City, Nevada, it turned into the most productive silver source in North America, attracting huge investment and fueling a regional boom. The remarkable yields of silver (with some accompanying gold) made it legendary as the richest silver ore vein on the continent.

That’s why the best choice points to silver ore rather than gold, a mining company, or a machine. The story isn’t about a single company that formed there, or about gold alone, or about equipment—it’s about the extraordinary silver ore deposit itself and the economic impact it had.