1. The Gold Rush

2. Pre-Gold Rush John Sutter- moved from Switzerland to New York in 1834
Granted 50,000 acres in California by the government to build a colony, Sutter’s Fort
Moved to California in 1840
Built the fort on the American River
Employed 100 to 500 people at a time

3. Discovery! James Wilson Marshall- carpenter for Sutter
Discovered gold in the American River while building a sawmill for Sutter’s Fort
Checked the gold by pounding it flat and boiling it with lye soap
Also used information from an old encyclopedia
Also discovered by General John Bidwell in the Feather River and by Major Pearson B. Reading in the Trinity River

4. Announcement March 15- announced in “The Californian” in San Francisco
May 12- Sam Brannan rode through the streets of San Francisco announcing the gold
August discovery of gold was announced in the “New York Herald”
December 5, discovery formally announced by President James K. Polk

5. Getting There
Water Routes: Panama Route, Cape Horn Route, Strait of Magellan Route
Land Routes: Santa Fe Trail or California Trail
Traveling by land was the most common way but it required carrying more equipment in wagons

6. Where People Came From Australia France Germany Ireland Mexico
New Zealand
Hawaiian Islands
Turkey
Other areas of the United States
China

7. Population/Growth Chinese-among slower to arrive
In 1848, there were 3 Chinese in California
In 1850, there were 791
By 1855, there were over 25,000 Chinese living in California
Native American population decreased-by 1900, their population had gone from 300,000 to 16,000
From 1848 to 1850 alone, 90,000 people traveled to California

8. Population/Growth Continued
By 1854, over 300,000 people had moved to California
Before the end of the Gold Rush, over 500,000 people lived in California
In 1847, one lot of land was worth $16, but eighteen months later, that same lot was worth $45,000
An average of 30 houses were built each day for new settlers

9. Mining Areas
Mining camps found in the Coloma Valley, Sierra foothills, and the banks of the American, Feather, and Yuba Rivers
Mining towns included: Squabbletown, Chucklehead Diggings, Mad Ox Ravine, Frenchman’s Flat, Git-Up-And-Git, Rattlesnake Bar, Cut Throat, Hangtown, Bedbug, Total Wreck, and Ten-Cent Gulch

10. Life in Mining Camps and Towns
Section 4: The Gold Rush
Life in Mining Camps and Towns
lack of law and order
diverse populations
high prices/inflation
lack of available goods and services

11. Mining Techniques
Panning
Rockers
Long Tom
Hydraulic Mining

12. Food Miners Ate Went to town to buy food
Bought bacon, beans, flour, rice, salt pork, coffee, dried apples, molasses, and baking soda
Hunted, fished, gathered acorns and greens
Bought food from Mexican women
Everything was overpriced

13. Diseases, Aches, and Pains
Backaches, sore hands and feet, inflamed joints, aching muscles
Dysentery, malaria, diarrhea, coughs, chills, fever, rheumatism, and scurvy were common
Only medicines available were painkillers

14. Housing It was rare for a miner to own a house
Shacks, tents, or just a blanket laid out on the ground were the homes for the common miner
No plumbing
Bathed in streams

15. Sundays
Miners chopped wood, repaired tools, washed clothes, wrote letter, and kept journals
Sometimes preachers came to camps
Preachers were considered a form of entertainment

16. Evenings
Social: Sat around campfires, told stories of home, played cards

17. Entertainment Preachers Social Events Holidays
Professional entertainers went to camps and sang, danced, or acted

18. Prejudice Due to many races existing in one area, prejudice increased
Caused crime to rise
Led to Foreign Miners Tax, first passed in 1850
Native Americans were discriminated against

19. Issues Stealing Lying Swearing Drinking Gambling Murdering
Land Ownership
Eventually, miners appointed magistrates to conduct trials
Sometimes, miners were punished with flogging or lashing
Hangings were very rare

20. Gradually, the gold rush ended
James Marshall, the first discoverer of gold, died penniless and alone. His farm was burned to the ground
Many miners stayed in California and set up towns, going back to the professions they had before the gold rush began