Episode thirteen of the new series of Pieces of History heads into the rugged wilderness of British Columbia to uncover the story of the Cariboo Gold Rush — a lesser-known but no less dramatic chapter of 19th-century North American history.

This episode traces the feverish pursuit of fortune that drew thousands into remote mountain passes and dense forests, carving new routes through the Canadian frontier. I explore the chaotic rise of boomtowns, the role of Indigenous peoples and Chinese miners, and the shifting social fabric of a colony transformed by gold.

Who were the dreamers and desperados chasing their fortunes north? What trails did they blaze — and what did they leave behind? I peel back the myths to uncover the realities of daily life in the Cariboo: the hardship, the ambition, the injustice, and the fleeting glimmers of prosperity.

This is more than a tale of gold and grit. It's a story of how a rush for riches reshaped a landscape, a people, and the path of a nation.

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