The California Gold Rush

Chapter 13 Section 4

California Before the Rush

Populated by Native Americans and Californios Settlers of Spanish or Mexican descent Lived on huge cattle ranches acquired from

California missions.

John Sutter Persuaded Mexican governor to give him land

in 1839 Built a fort on 50,000 acres, dreamed of

agricultural empire

Sutter’s Mill In 1848, Sutter sent James Marshall to build

a sawmill on the American River

“My eye was caught by a glimpse of something shining…I reached my hand down and picked it up; it made my heart thump for I felt certain it was gold”

Rush for Gold News of the discovery spread rapidly

Miners soon found gold in other streams

1849 thousands of gold seekers headed to CA: called “49er’s”

Reaching California Fortune seekers had three ways to get to

California:

Sail around South America 18,000 miles, storms, sickness, spoiled food

Sail to Isthmus of Panama, cross overland, then sail to CA Risk of deadly tropical disease

Travel trails across North America

Who Went to California?

Young men “A gray beard is almost as rare as

a petticoat” Luzena Wilson In 6 months she only saw 2

other women in Sacramento

2/3rds were white Americans

Others were Native Americans, free blacks, slaves

Mexico, Europe, South American, Australia, China

Conflicts Began to force Native Americans, Mexicans

and Chinese out of gold fields

Discrimination increased after CA became a state in 1850

Foreign Miners Tax: imposed a tax of $20 a month on miners from other countries

Most left or opened other businesses

Life in the Mining Camps

Mad Mule Gulch, Hangtown, Coyote Diggings

Began as rows of tents, then rough wooden buildings of stores and saloons

Mining towns were dangerous

A long way away from Mom and Wife: a “No” culture

Mining Life Pickings were rare

Days spent in knee-deep icy streams

Sifted through sand and mud

Exhaustion, poor food, and disease

Outrageous high prices for basic supplies

Gamblers and con artists

Who became Rich? Merchants:

Restaurants Hotels Boarding Houses General Stores Laundries Wells, Fargo, and Co.

Impacts of Gold Rush 1852 Gold Rush over

250,000 now in CA

Caused economic growth

Port city of San Francisco became center of banking, manufacturing, shipping and trade.

Sacramento became center of a productive farming region

Impacts of Gold Rush Californios had property seized by

Americans

Spanish Heritage still lives in CA and Southwest

Native Americans suffered disease, loss of hunting grounds, murdered By 1870 their population went from 150,000 to

58,000

California became a free state, causing an unbalance in the Senate

Impacts of Gold Rush Transcontinental Railroad

Connected both coasts Built up towns along the rails Moved goods across the continent

Environmental Used hydro mining, tore away hillsides and

bluffs Streambeds redirected due to digging Fish were killed