Life During The California Gold Rush

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.

In 1848, California struck gold at Sutter's Mill, California. Chinese immigrants now had yet another incentive to go west in search of their fortune. For the most part, these immigrants were young male peasants who came in

With all these travelers from the east and different country made California a “melting pot” of different people and culture. When news that California that had gold began to spread outside of the United State it first hit Mexico and Hawaii lead to the first wave of immigrants with the purpose of mining. Then, news the quickly across the world from South America to Europe and from Australian to Asian, the impact was so big that the text said, “Irish immigration to the United States, already at 100,000 a year in 1847, more than double to 220,000 by 1851” (Gillon, 297). With all these people mining towns would quickly pop up across California, and these towns with every race you could think such as Black, French, Irish, Chinese, Mexican, and etc. The towns were constantly busy with people moving to and from mine and rivers. With a day or a week of work could make you a nice amount of profit, you could entertain yourself for a while before you had to go back to mining with bars, gambling parlors, and whore house. Prostitutes made good money because in text said that, “ One prostitute in California Boasted of making more than $50000in a year.” (Gillon, 297). I could imagine myself being there if I made it there.

The Gold Rush during the mid 1800s had a major impact on the movement westward. People traveled thousands of miles across all kinds of rugged terrain in pursuit of wealth and riches. The large amount of settlers in California during this time created a state full of diversity which remains the same to this day. These enormous amounts of people, however, made it difficult for the economy to support the ones who weren’t so lucky. On top of this, there was also a huge destruction of the Native population, and even discrimination against other newcomers. The Gold Rush also created significant environmental hazards throughout the area that are still a problem today. All these things are solid indicators that the Gold Rush actually had a negative impact on California.

The Forty Niners were the gold prospectors. The Forty Niners were tens of thousands of men and many fewer women. Who all migrated to California in 1849 after they heard there was gold in 1848. The Forty Niners travelled there both land and sea from the East, hoping to make it rich. And the reason why the 49er’s are called that is because it comes from the name given to the gold prospectors who arrived in Northern California around 1849 during the Gold Rush. The name was suggested to reflect the voyagers who had rushed the West for gold.

The migration of many foreigners resulted from various reasons that were explained in Susan Lee Johnson's chapter On the Eve of Emigration. Johnson discussed how many foreigners from different regions of the world and Americans from the Eastern part of the United States left their homes or countries for economic, social, political, or cultural reasons to start a new life in California with the hopes of striking wealth from the mines (Johnson, 59-95). One of the most interesting first-hand accounts of the Gold Rush came from a woman named Louis Amelia Knapp Smith Clapp or Dame Shirley. Shirley's account provided a detailed view of how life was during the gold mining years in California through her own descriptive personal account (Shirley Document, 171-184). This engaging source offered a good understanding of how life was in California during the late 1840s and early 1850s. The California Gold Rush caused “gold fever” among diverse ranges of people, both locally and globally, and sparked an instant exodus to

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

California was unsettled until Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1824. After that, Mexico controlled California. Soon there started to be trading in California (Alchin). Lewis and Clark were in California before the Gold Rush happened, during their expedition. While in California, they discovered a new plant called the California Rhododendron (“Lewis and Clark”). American Indians were in California during this time as well. They were not treated well on any means during the 1800s. When the Gold Rush did happen, they participated in the mining. Then the whites started using them for labor in the mines after they saw how hard they could work (Alchin).

After the gold rush, transportation improvements were being made, immigration was going up and so was mining. The 49’s were the first people to reach the mines, although this was not good news, the 49’rs did increase the immigration to California which led to Diversity also had an impact since people from all over the East were beginning to move West. The rising of mining began the idea of creating a bank system which became very successful. Today California's transportation, traveling, and banking industries continue to be successful. Agriculture has dominated California's territory since 1848 and is now the largest. Although immigrants have not lived in California their whole life, they have expanded their views and skills by being surrounded with multiple cultures. Spanish speaking individuals brought the language and religion in California. After California became an official state in the 1850s was when the immigration of Hispanics began to move

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.

do was ask the men at the mill to keep the secret for another six

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.

     What effects did the Gold Rush have on people? Some became forever rich, and some lost everything. In 1849, California was a rather uncivilized place, especially San Francisco. Miner’s came from every where to try to find their fortune, but most fortunes weren’t made mining gold, they were made because of mining. Sam Brannan was one such man who made his fortune this way. Brannan bought every shovel, pan, and every other mining related tool he could in the region. A twenty-cent metal pan now became a fifteen-dollar pan, and the only place to buy them was from Sam Bannan. Levi Strauss, a tailor who happened to have very popular canvas pants made his fortune from the Gold Rush. Phillip Armour, of Armour Meat packing company, and John Studebaker just to name a couple more. Unfortunately, not everybody could get rich, for every one person that struck it big; there were thousands that didn’t. It is not uncommon to hear stories of men leaving their wife, kids and

The discovery of the California Gold Rush took place by chance. Mainly the amount of the world’s gold is deep underground and embedded in hard rock. Unlike anywhere else in the world at that time the gold in California was simple to dig up, free for the taking and required little tools to acquire any gold. Only things required: a pick or shovel and a pan to shift out the gold from the rock, sand and debris. The Gold Rush affected not only California, but the outcome of the nation. Creating the expansion of our nation into Western America and California. Hundreds of thousand Americans and foreigners moved toward the Sierra Nevada’s, with the hopes of sticking it rich. Which impacted the social life and the economy, while effected the rest of the country. Producing a number of diverse people seeking to make a fortune, influenced California and the American life.

“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