1. The California
Gold Rush
The California
Gold Rush

2. Changing the American Dream
How did the California Gold Rush change the American Dream?
Originally the American Dream was the simple life.
Land, Family, Church, Farming, Raising Livestock etc.
A new life style develops that is entrepreneurial, free, and full of opportunity
American Dream becomes
Materialistic, Get rich quick, Settle down later

3. Sutter and Marshall Who were John Sutter and
James Marshall? What role did they
play in starting the California Gold Rush?
John Sutter was a Swiss immigrant who started an agricultural empire before California was a state.
James Marshall was one of Sutter’s hired hands that discovered gold while building a sawmill
When was gold discovered in California?
Marshall discovered gold on January 24th 1848
What was Marshall doing when he made his discovery?
Marshall was building a sawmill that would produce lumber for Sutter’s growing agricultural society/ civilization in California.

4. The 49ers
What were the people who moved west during the gold rush know as? Why where they known as this?
Those who left their
Families, Jobs and
Lifestyle to move to
California became
Known as 49ers
Because many left for
California in 1849.

5. The Route to Riches
What were the different routes people could take to get to California?
Sea Route
1- Around South America which took
a little over six months
2- Through Panama
Overland Route
49ers took the Oregon and
California trails to Sacramento.
which took travelers about six months.

6. People who “Struck it Big”
Who were some of the people who got rich during the California Gold rush?
Sam Brannan
Levi Strauss
Henry Wells and William Fargo
Women
The Gold Rush Video Clip

7. The Impact What was the impact of the gold rush?
The west was populated really quickly, so quickly it was lawless at first.
California was admitted as a free state into the Union.
The disrupted the balance of power between Slave States and Free States in the United States Senate.
Lots of Native Americans were killed.