What Are The Challenges In 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.

Some of the hardships that the Pilgrims faced while living in the new world was illness and trying to create a new community on the unknown land. The new settlers stayed on the Mayflower for a few months but finally moved onto land permanently. Once the first winter came along many became ill and some even died. A disease swept through the colony. But not long after,

As our textbook describes, “At one time only seven were well enough to the lay the dead in their frosty graves.” (44.) The colonists were not the only ones who were suffering from unique sicknesses, as the Indians were being exposed and introduced to all kinds of new diseases from the settlers. Before the Pilgrims even arrived in Plymouth, the local Indians were already weak and had been torn apart by epidemics. This was because Native Americans in the southeast most likely came into contact with the English fisherman, which allowed disease to spread up the coast. The textbook describes the situation after these epidemics swept through, “deserted Indian fields, ready for tillage… scattered skulls and bones provided grim evidence of the impact of the evidence of the disease.” (48). This shows how much of an impact the disease had on the Natives and how gruesomely the textbook shows this, and it displays the textbook’s cynical approach. In the novel there is not as much gruesome detail about the sickness that the colonists bring with them, but Caleb’s father does get very sick with Measles. Even though there was most certainly disease all around Caleb’s people, as well as Bethia’s, it was never mentioned by either of them, which shows how the novel softens the ‘violent’ nature of disease that was rampant at this

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

According to Pioneers West website, it states that the diseases proved to be the biggest killer of emigrants in the West. Smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis, diphtheria, typhoid, "mountain fever," and a host of other sicknesses frequently struck down settlers, who had little or no medical expertise. Imagine having to travel with someone who has contracted the disease, and you can’t help the person out because there is no medicine that could treat him or her. The only option is to wait patiently until they have passed away and find somewhere to bury them. The people who died on the road were put into holes. When they dug up the graves they would mark the graves, some would even try to camouflage the graves to keep animals and even people

The emigrants on the Oregon trail had many troubles faced during their time on the trail due to life threatening diseases. The emigrants on the Oregon Trail had a 10% chance of living if they had gotten a disease. In the essay “Emigrants on the Oregon Trail” Jack Rockefeller

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.

Firstly, access to medical care. Years ago medical care in the 19th century was not very good. The hospitals were very basic, many beds in a large room (ward) there were very rarely curtains around the beds for privacy because in those days clothes were short and extra material would be made into clothing. Also, they may not have been very clean, they were hygienic to work in but for people that were very ill they may of made that person more poorly. Clinics were similar; they had the basic bed to check patients on and the small amount of medicines. Not all the time did they have the correct suitable medication for patients. So some patients may have had to suffer for longer than what they should off because it was hard to get medication that was going to cure

The California Gold Rush almost did not happen. In his 1848 report to the adjutant-general at Washington, DC, Col. Richard Barnes Mason wrote a worker was checking the strong flow of water in a stream near a saw mill he was building. James Marshall noticed a few glittering particles in the mud that had accumulated. He collected and examined a few of them and, satisfied with their value, brought them to Captain John Sutter, owner of the land where the saw mill was to be built. They agreed to keep their discovery secret for a while but word soon spread and quickly hundreds and then thousands of miners flooded to the mines seeking instant wealth. Only three months after the discovery, it was estimated about four thousand workers were employed mining gold in the region (personal communication, August 17, 1848).

The California Gold Rush was a period of time when thousands of people from all over the world came to California for gold, some were lucky, most were not. California was owned by Mexico 1600-1846. Mexico soon allowed the U.S. to have California as it’s own state, and that is when they found the gold. The California Gold Rush was a difficult time with the challenges people faced traveling to California, the way the Forty-Niners lived, and the way they used the gold.

Many artifacts offer clues to prove that there were illnesses, diseases, and some medical treatments/procedures present in the community. It it clear that illnesses and disease had a huge impact on the settlers of Jamestown because by January 1608, 60% of settlers were dead due to illnesses/disease. This was due to the lack of knowledge regarding germs and bacteria. Diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, and salt poisoning were the biggest killers during the first few years of the Jamestown settlement. Molars found at the Jamestown excavation site also reveal advanced periodontal disease plagued many of the settlers.

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 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.

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.

Ship Fever Questions: Please write a paragraph or two to answer each of these questions. 1. What kind of picture of doctors and patients does this story paint? The picture of doctors and patients that this story portrays is of the doctors just doing what they need to do to accomplish a goal of preventing the epidemic.