Feature Good as Gold The absence of formal government on the American frontier emboldened miners to take powers usually reserved to the state, subjecting criminals to their own brand of vigilante justice. Andrea McDowell | Published in History Today Volume 72 Issue 9 September 2022 Left: a California gold miner with his pick and shovel. Right: portrait of a California miner with pan of gold, c.1852. All images from the exhibition ‘Golden Prospects: Californian Gold Rush Daguerreotypes’. Courtesy of The Nelson- Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive. Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in. Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.