The History of Hydraulic Mining Giants — Why California Blasted Away Mountains With Water Cannons

In the mid-19th century, gold prospectors in California devised a way to wash away entire mountains using water pressure—and within a couple of decades, this had turned into an industry that carved out the world’s largest hydraulic gold mine and buried the fertile valleys downstream under silt. How did a canvas hose evolve into water cannons capable of killing a person, and why was it the courts—rather than a more powerful machine—that brought this era to an end? Find out in this video. The script is based on historical sources. The footage in this video is a fictional reenactment, not documentary footage of actual events. This video was created for educational purposes.