 Gold in Science Gold

 Gold throughout History  Gold has been valuable throughout history because of its rarity and beauty.  It is relatively easy to shape it into different items.

 California before 1849  California was populated mostly by Native Americans and Californios, settlers of Spanish or Mexican descent.  Mariano Vallejo, was a wealthy member of one of the older Spanish families in America.

 Americans of Note  John Sutter – A Swiss immigrant who bought 50,000 acres of Sacramento Valley.  James Marshall – Hired by Sutter to build a Sawmill in 1848.

  “My eye was caught by a glimpse of something shining….I reached my hand down and picked it up: it made my heart thump for I felt certain it was gold.” -James Marshall Gold Discovery RM5-uMU

 Gold Fever  News spread rapidly to the eastern seaboard.  A year after gold was declared to be found, thousands of gold seekers began the long journey West to reach California.

 How would the Miners get there?  Three main routes:  Overland  Through the Panama Isthmus  Around Cape Horn

 Trails West

 What would they need for the overland journey?  Types of supplies?  Food  Clothing  What would you bring on a 6 month journey?

 The Miners  Miners were usually young men trying to find their fortunes.  The hard labor made it difficult for older men to perform the back breaking labor needed to dig for gold.  Only 2/3rds are actually American.

 Foreign Miners  Miners came from mostly South America, Europe, Australia, and China.  Many Chinese had left their homeland because of massive crop failures. -Where else will this happen?

 Conflicts  As gold became harder to find, American miners began to resent the foreign presence.  Angry miners began to drive out the Chinese in hope of claiming their gold sites.

 Miner Camps  Life in the camp was rough and dangerous.  “There were mining accidents, murders, whippings, and even duels.”  -Louise Clappe, a woman who lived in the region.  Greed, prejudice, and jealousy.

 Mining Gold Shovel Pan Sluice System

 End of the Rush, what are the Impacts?  By 1852, the Gold Rush was largely over, but around 250,000 people had flooded into California.  The huge influx of people changed California’s economy forever. San Francisco in 1850

 California becomes a State

 Remember the Californios ?  Americans largely ignored the rights of California’s previous inhabitants.  Even successful Californios had much, if not all, of their property seized.

 Problems

 Key Terms  Forty-Niner  Californio  Mariano Vallejo  John Sutter  James Marshall  California Gold Rush