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We have a myth of

2
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the Gold Rush and its gritty 
John Ford

3
00:00:09,533 --> 00:00:12,333
type people up 
against the harshness

4
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of nature.

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In fact, the history is full of

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both nobility 
and terrible depravity.

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We live in a time 
now where there's interest

8
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in the people who, as we say, 
were written out of history.

9
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And in the case of the Gold Rush 
the Native Americans,

10
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Mexicans, Chileans

11
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and there were 
actually freed slaves

12
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and the women.

13
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There aren't many women out here

14
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during the Gold Rush,

15
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but those that were here

16
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were pretty extraordinary 
people.

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This is

18
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this is the most wonderful book.

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Peter discovered these letters

20
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that were written by Louise 
Clappe.

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“I am the only petticoated

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astonishment on this bar.”

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This woman from Massachusetts 
who spent 18 months

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in a very, very crude mining 
encampment called Rich Bar.

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Louise Clappe,

26
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who wrote letters 
from a filthy, crude camp in

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the Sierras, is having her words

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sung by Julia Bullock.

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♪ Onions and potatoes ♪

30
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[Vocalizing]

31
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Oh, that's different.

32
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Even though Louise Clapp 
came out of this Victorian era

33
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with all of the communities 
that she was encountering

34
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and all of the environments 
that she was encountering

35
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it was with a complete openness 
and sort of wonderment.

36
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♪ Dinner was 
truly excellent ♪

37
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[Vocalizing]

38
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Oh, ok! Cool.

39
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And then its an 
octave replacement.

40
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Yeah! Yes.

41
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[Vocalizing]

42
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[Mimicking vocalizing]

43
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[Laughs]

44
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Let's go from 446.

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[Piano playing]

46
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[Vocalizing]

47
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Most of the characters in

48
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the opera are real people, 
historical people.

49
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Josefa Segovia, 
this young Mexican woman,

50
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defended herself 
against a miner

51
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who was harassing 
her.

52
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Stabbed him, 
killed him,

53
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and the next day was lynched

54
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off a bridge over the 
Yuba River

55
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on Independence Day,

56
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ironically.

57
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I don't

58
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remember 
learning that in school.

59
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She's kind of unwritten 
in history.

60
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Not kind of, she is.