The legislation that facilitated the recruitment of miners to the gold mines by curtailing their access to land was the Mining Law of 1866. This law allowed individuals to stake claims on public lands that had mineral deposits, but it also required payment of fees to the government. This made it difficult for small-scale miners to access land for mining, as they were often unable to afford the fees. As a result, many small-scale miners had no choice but to sell their claims to larger mining companies, who could afford to pay the fees and take advantage of the mineral deposits. This law effectively facilitated the concentration of mining power and wealth in the hands of a few large companies, and further marginalized small-scale miners and Indigenous peoples who relied on access to land for their livelihoods.
