What product made the merchant Levi Strauss famous and wealthy during the California Gold Rush?

Mining equipment like picks and shovels

Durable denim pants designed for miners

Financial services and high-interest loans

Pre-cooked meals and preserved foods

Why did entrepreneurs in boomtowns often become wealthier than the miners themselves?

They found the largest gold nuggets before anyone else arrived.

They sold essential goods and services to the large mining population at high prices.

They held official government positions that allowed them to collect taxes from miners.

They were given exclusive rights to mine in the most promising locations by the government.

Post offices and general stores

Gaining the right to vote in local elections.

Achieving a rare degree of financial independence.

Being elected to public office for the first time.

Establishing the first public schools in California.