“Gold! Gold! Gold! California Gold Region Seems Inexhaustible!” - was the headline of many newspapers during the California Gold Rush. The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848 when James Marshall discovered gold while building a water powered mill for John Sutter at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. Marshall spotted the piece of gold coming down the mill’s trail race and went to tell John Sutter about it. Sutter stated in an entry entitled “The Discovery of Gold in California”, “In a private room he showed me the first specimens of gold, that is he was not certain if it was gold or not, but he thought it might be; immediately I made the proof and found that it was gold.” Marshall and Sutter attempted to keep the discovery of gold …show more content…
The news of the discovery of gold spread quickly to every corner of the world, and people gradually started to come to California from groups of dozens to ten thousands. J.S. Holiday in his book Rush for Riches described the migration of the people as, “For years thereafter, gold seekers by the hard to count thousands pushed ashore at California’s suddenly famous city” (83). Because population of California had grown excessively, California began to develop. New towns, roads, churches, and schools sprung up. William Weber Johnson wrote in his informative book The Forty-Niners“A potential town was born when a prospector squatting at a wilderness stream washed out a pan full of gold bearing dirt…A full community of gold-hungry campers soon appeared” (114). In some towns, the word city was added to because of its number of inhabitants, and even the capital was moved from Monterey to San Francisco. In addition, Liza Ketchum said in her book The Gold Rush, “California’s growing population pressured Congress for a transcontinental railroad” (103). The transcontinental railroad connected California to all the other states reaching to the East Coast. Moreover, the population had enlarged to a great extent that it only took a year for California to be admitted as the 31st state. California applied to enter the Union in 1849 and became a state in 1850.The gold rush caused a major boom in the population. William Weber Johnson summarized the increase in population in his book, “During those half dozen years the momentum of the gold rush had drawn more than a quarter of a million people... in contrast with the mere 14,000 that had settled before the discovery of gold”
The first few bits of gold were found around January of 1848 near the region of Coloma. As a result the west had a sudden surge of migrants moving to California in the hopes of excavating gold and getting rich off of the gold. This event in American history became known as the California gold rush and it would have a great impact not only on the nation but on the world, however this job came with many great risks and challenges.
It is well known that industrialization in America started in the east. However, the gold rush was the reason why California industrialized much faster than the east. With the technological improvements, that the gold rush demands it helped California industrialize much faster. James Marshall first discovered gold on January 24 1848 on the south fork of the American river. A not so well know part of California history is that James Marshall was not the first person to discover gold in California. Francisco Lopez was the first documented gold rush in California. It is less know because right after Lopez had discovered gold the war between Mexico and US had begun. Moreover, like everyone knows Mexico lost and lost California and other territory to the US. After James Marshall had found gold and after everyone had started to hear the news, few people started rushing to the minefields. The gold rush fever had not started yet because many people were hesitant. It wasn’t until president, President Polk at that time, confirmed that there really was gold found in California after the announcement by Polk was heard. Massive amount of people from all over the world rushed to California. States were not the first to hear about the news. Actually, people in Hawaii were the first to find out. As trading ships were leaving the San Francisco port on their trips across the pacific. Was when the Hawaii found out about the news? When the states
In the late 1800’s, a lot of change was being brought upon the United States, especially on the west of America. New things were established and found in west states, such as Nevada and California. Many of these new establishments helped freed slaves find living as the gold mines were a huge ideal to foreigners traveling from the south and midwest. The Gold Rush was found in Sierra Nevada during 1848, when gold was found in a mine. This completely changed the popularity and population of California. Although, for many people who wanted to travel to mine for gold during the Gold Rush, it was a tough journey as there was no true railroad nor steamboats yet to be taken to the west. With the rise of exposure for the Chinese population in San Francisco,
The California Gold Rush was a spectacular time for California. It occurred from 1848-1855. Many, many people migrated to California to find the gold that was said to be there. This changed California from a dreary and unpopulated place to a thriving and happy place to be. Not everyone struck it rich, though, not even the person who discovered it, James W. Marshall. California’s motto, Eureka, is a reference to the Gold Rush. The California Gold Rush was a life-changing event for many people and is still thought of today.
It is well known that the industrialization in America start in the east. However, the gold rush was the reason why it industrialized much faster than the east. With the technological improvements that the gold rush demand it helped California industrialize much faster. Gold was first discovered in January 24 1848 by James Marshall on the south fork of the American river. A not so mentioned part of California history is that James Marshall wasn’t the first person to discover gold in California. Francisco Lopez was the first documented gold rush in California. No one talk or mentions it because right after Lopez had discovered gold the war between Mexico and US had begun. Moreover, like everyone knows Mexico lost and lost California and other territory to the US. After JamesMarshall had found gold and after everyone had started to hear the news, few people started rushing to the minefields. The gold rush fever had not started yet because many people were hesitant. It wasn’t after President Polk at that time, confirmed that there really was gold found in California after the announcement by Polk was heard. Massive amount of people from all over the world rushed to California. States were not the first to hear about the news. Actually, people in Hawaii were the first to find out. As trading ships where leaving the San Francisco port on their trips across the pacific. Was when the Hawaii found out about the news? When the states
The California Gold Rush was a very tough time for many cultures. The gold searching included many people like, Native Americans, gangs, and Foreigners. Native Americans were the first victims, Foreigners were treated to contempt, and many gangs stole until they were caught and forcibly stopped. There were many challenges individuals faced such as harsh punishments for claiming a miner’s gold, there wasn’t any police or guards to protect the gold, and many individuals who dug for gold struggled from Xenophobia.
Prior to the Gold Rush of 1849, California was a meagerly populated, an irrelevant area of the United States for the most part possessed by the general population of Mexico. In any case, that all changed when on January 24, 1848; woodworker and little time sawmill administrator James W. Marshall found a gold piece in the American River that would always show signs of change the historical backdrop of California and America1. Not exclusively did the Gold Rush prompt California 's permission into the Union in 1850, it additionally revived the possibility of the American Dream. Hundred 's of thousands of individuals filled the state by the draw of brisk and unending wealth. Because of the Gold Rush, California in the end turned into a
What was the California Gold Rush and how did it impact Westward Expansion and the growth of California.
The California Gold Rush was an event that lasted from January 24th, 1848 to 1855. The event was driven mainly by the large quantities of gold reserves that were discovered in the soon to be US state of California. This event caused many Americans to move from the eastern states and middle states to California with the hopes of finding gold. In this paper, I will analyze the economy at the time the gold rush started and attempt to answer the question of why individuals found it necessary or advantageous to move out to California in pursuit of gold. I will also consider personal accounts and editorials written to gain a more personal narrative of the conditions people were experiencing as well as their mindsets in deciding whether to move to California for the gold or not.
The Gold Rush was one of the most influential times in California History. During the four years from 1848-1852, 400,000 new people flooded into the state. People from many countries and social classes moved to California, and many of them settled in San Francisco. All this diversity in one place created a very interesting dynamic. California during the Gold Rush, was a place of colliding ideals. The 49ers came from a very structured kind of life to a place where one was free to make up her own rules.
The California Gold Rush of 1849 is one of the most interesting and exiting events of the United States. From the wild stories of men striking it big, to the heart wrenching tales of people losing everything, these are what make it so alluring. There are many aspects of the California Gold Rush; effects on California; individual stories of struggle; and effects on the United States as a young country looking for stability.
Forty-Niners. A popular term that was emphasized during the time of the California Gold Rush which referred to immigrants who were traveling to the west. The immigrants were considered “forty-niners” because they began to arrive in the year of 1849. In his book Daily Life during the California Gold Rush Thomas Maxwell-Long notes that, “California is nicknamed “The Golden State;” and the official state motto is “Eureka” meaning “I have found it” in Greek- a reference to mining success” (Maxwell-Long 1). The California Gold Rush is the most well-known and largest mass migration that occurred in the history of America during the middle of the 18th century. The people who migrated to California went in having strict thoughts that the new American dream was to get rich and be fortunate from the gold they were in search of, however, that generally was not the case. In addition, the Gold Rush created a huge economic impact in the state of California which, ultimately, resulted in a range of environmentally destructive practices.
For many, gold had a impact on california 1848, but not like the same in california in 2018. The gold rush had many type of impact on california that made it lose population, the towns that had crimes everyday and the disappointment that the minner came all the way to the middle of the U.S. First, the bad side of the gold rush. The loss population in cities after hearing the gold in california. “ A visitor in June found the city nearly abandoned because of "gold fever" (Johnson) By September eastern newspapers offered their readers breathless reports of the incredible riches ready for the taking” (Johnson).The gold rush told people only of the riches and told story of people living the high life.
Gold found in California starting the Gold Rush, happened to not be the first discovery of gold in there. “But gold had been found in 1843 near the Mission San Fernando in Southern California”. Although this discovery did not spark much attention, reason being. At that the time the country was under Mexican rule. “ The great California gold rush began on January 24,1848, when James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget in the American River while constructing a sawmill for John Sutter, a Sacramento agriculturalist”. Discovery of this gold generated the Gold Rush, which is one of the most significant events that
“To many Californians the mention of January 24, 1948, conveys no special meaning, nor is that date widely commemorated in the state. Yet it had a special significance in the history of California, for on that day James Marshall, a moody carpenter from Missouri, discovered the first gold nuggets that resulted in a stampede known as the California Gold Rush.” The California Gold Rush drew in thousands of white settlers, all seeking a better life and a chance