A theory of political revolution is used to examine change in public expectations that result when a degraded natural resource is transformed by resource managers into a viable, accessible asset. The theory states that political unrest directed at the government erupts not when conditions are at their worst, but when conditions that have started to improve do not improve rapidly enough to coincide with rising public expectations. The paper suggests that resource miracles—dramatic resource changes—may eventually lead to constituency revolutions unless managers carefully observe impacts of their activities on public expectations. The paper is illustrated by the rapid development of a salmon fishery in the Great Lakes.