The discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859 was of monumental geopolitical, financial, and historical significance to the United States. It injected staggering amounts of precious mineral wealth into the national economy just as the Civil War commenced, helping finance the Union cause and stabilize federal currency. Furthermore, the immense fortunes extracted fueled the rapid commercial development and urbanization of San Francisco, inspired revolutionary underground mining engineering techniques, and directly accelerated the statehood and infrastructure growth of Nevada.