California Gold Rush Research Paper

When the California Gold Rush took off almost everyone wanted to try their luck in California, and the first thing they had to do is get there. If you on the eastern side of the United State or from European you had two choices to get to California they were the sea or land route, but if you were on the Pacific Ocean coast you direct sea route to there. The land route took you across the great United State through some of its most extremes weather and terrain, and traveler had survived the untamed west on their own and what they bring. Also, they had to struggle against diseases outbreaks such as Cholera which the text said, “As many as 1500 travelers died from Cholera along the Overland Trail in 1849” (Gillon, 298). The most popular route

The California Gold Rush one of the biggest events in the U.S History. The Gold Rush was when gold was found by James .W. Marshall in 1848 in San Francisco, California. When this happened, emotions sparked in San Francisco (main site for the Gold Rush). The word spread so quickly that people from all around the Unites States flooded into San Francisco and causing overpopulation(“California Gold Rush”). In 6 years during the Gold Rush, the population increased by almost 36,000 residents(“California Gold Rush”). Overpopulation set in, and it was a major problem. This problem increased murders, fires, robberies and overall just many crimes(“The California Gold Rush”). More people means more houses being taken, and a

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 drastically changed America in numerous ways. It facilitated economic growth and prosperity in the west. In addition, it “inspired perhaps the largest mass movement of people in world history. ‘Neither the Crusades nor Alexander’s expeditions to India (all things considered) can equal this emigration to California,’ wrote one

The hardships of joining the California gold rush was done by many in attempt of richness. The California gold rush was a popular time in America’s history when gold was found in California. Creating chaos the population of California increased greatly as others came to search for gold. While, the gold rush increased California’s population and economy it was also the beginning of Manifest Destiny. Though, the gold rush helped California it had an overall negative effect on America through overcrowded population and outbreaks of cholera.

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 United States of America is a country deeply rooted in history, shaped by many significant events over the past several hundred years. From the arrival of Columbus, to the Pilgrims, the Revolution, the Civil War, both World Wars, and much more, these events have had a great impact on the future of America. However, one of the most often overlooked yet incredibly significant events in American history was the California Gold Rush of 1849. The discovery of gold in the western territories prompted hundreds of thousands of Americans to venture west. These mass migrations not only had many significant positive and negative impacts, but also created a prosperous future for the desolate and unforgiving western half of the country. The California

The commencement of the California Gold Rush was on January 24th, 1848 and ceased in the year of 1855. The Gold Rush migration began when James W. Marshall, originally a sawmill operator, discovered a piece of gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. Initially, he was at the sight trying to build a sawmill. Furthermore, within just one year, the mass migration quickly began to grow. The mass migration brought approximately three hundred thousand people across state borders and from abroad to locate the gold that was discovered at Sutter’s Mill. There was a diverse amount of people that migrated to California in search of the mysterious gold, which included; young American men, people from South America, Europe, and some other countries. As the news quickly dispersed throughout the United States, the mass migration generated more than seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds of gold from the time the California Gold Rush began and ended. The California Gold Rush did not reach its peak until 1849, however; miners still collected roughly one hundred thousand pounds of gold each year. Overall, between the few years the Gold Rush occurred, approximately seven hundred thousand pounds of gold

The California gold rush is often chronicled as a period in American history revolving around wealth and riches. However, the Gold Rush was a major cause for both domestic and international conflict during the 1840’s and 1850’s. The awe for gold in America began in January 1848, when James Marshall found what is known as the first nugget of gold in California at Sutter’s Mill (McGill). Although the exciting news did not get to the rest of the country immediately, many still knew about the gold sighting. Sam Brannan, a local businessman, told people in neighboring towns of what Marshall had seen, and people began to flock to the land surrounding Sutter’s Mill (McGill)

The discovery of gold nuggets in Sacramento Valley in 1848 sparked the California Gold Rush of 1849. Which is one of most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century. News spread of the discovery thousands of gold miners traveled over sea or overland to San Francisco and surrounding areas by the end of 1849. The non-native population of California territory was over 100,000, compared with the pre-1848 figure of less than 1,000. Two billion dollars worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush peak in 1852.

On January 24, 1848 John W. Marshall discovered gold in California, which set its foundation for California's future success. The Gold Rush gave California's motto of, "Eureka" meaning "I've found it." The Gold Rush made California a commercial hub that made America a melting pot by drawing many cultures from around the globe to seek better opportunities and make more money than they ever would. This created an expansion of the nation in America. Although it increased population in California there were difficulties and problems encounters between Chinese immigrants, the rich, and miners.

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…

Gold-seekers who made the decision to travel to California had limited options for their journey. There were very few roads and transportation methods at the time. The choice was to take either the sea route or a 2,000-mile walk across the outback. The sea voyage took four to six months forcing the ships to travel from the east coast of the United States around the Cape Horn in South America to California. Seasickness was rampant; food was full of bugs, or worse - rancid. Water stored for months in a ship's hold was almost impossible to drink ("The Gold Rush"). The risk of malaria and cholera was evident when passengers got sick through the food and water that was provided. There were also times when passengers were stranded because ferries in the Pacific were very rare, so they had to wait for weeks, even months, for a ferry up to San Francisco (Upham). Other than the sea route, gold-seekers could take the California-Oregon Trail. When planning the journey to the west, many purchased journals to write their thoughts of missed loved ones and family as well as describing encounters of malaria and cholera, oceans and desert, and violence from Indians or fellow miners ("Photographing the California Gold Rush"). Many travelers were worried about attacks

In clubs the members would choose a representative and help pay his way in return for part of his profit. One route to the gold fields was to go by ship from the East Coast of the United States all the way around Cape Horn and then to San Francisco. This could take six months or more depending on the weather that the ship ran into. It was a very boring trip so the miners would read anything they had, play games, debate, sketch, and record wildlife. Another problem with the long voyage was that it was impossible to keep enough food adequate for the whole trip. The miners often ended up eating hardtack and diseased water; scurvy was very common because of a lack of fruits and vitamins. The ships were overcrowded and many were not seaworthy, since they were old ships that had been pressed into service by the high demand. Because overcrowding was so great if one miner got sick it could quickly spread and kill many. The challenges of this route were vast and those who survived and actually made it to California were already prepared for the hardships of mining. Although this route was long, difficult and expensive the others were not any better.

During the California Gold Rush and transition to statehood, California endured many economic, sociological, political, and environmental changes.