1. Warm up Manifest destiny review Oregon Trail Santa Fe Trail
Led American settlers to overthrow Mexican rule in Northern California, established the Republic of California
Proposed an amendment to a bill that would forbid slavery in any of the new territories acquired from Mexico
Purchase of present-day southern New Mexico and Arizona for $10 million from the Mexican govt
Led U.S. troops to the Rio Grande river, starting the Mexican-American war when Mexico thought they had been invaded
Fur traders and trappers that provided information about trails and frontier conditions for later settlers
Trail that extended from Independence, Missouri to Portland
Trail that extended from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe
Forbid natives from settling near or around popular trail areas
Oregon Trail
Santa Fe Trail
Treaty of Fort Laramie
Mountain Men
Gadsden Purchase
Wilmot Proviso
John C. Fremont
Zachary Taylor

2. Discovery Gold discovered on John Sutter’s Mill in 1848.
Thousands flooded in to attempt to find gold by 1849.
Attracted Americans,
Most forty-niners were young and male
John Sutter

3. Gold and Silver Strikes
The CA Gold Rush began in 1849, attracting thousands of gold hunters known as forty-niners.

4. San Francisco
Travel hub between those traveling by sea to get to California gold country
April 1848 population: 850
December 1849 population: 25,000
Major growth
Culturally diverse
Lawlessness/ fighting

5. Life in the Mining Camps
There was “a row of canvas tents, [months later] there were two thousand men…and the streets were lined with drinking saloons and gambling tables.”
-Luzena Wilson, mining wife at Coyote Diggings camp
Fights over claim boundaries
Often took “justice” into their own hands
“In the short space of twenty-four hours we have had murders, fearful accidents, bloody deaths, a mob, whippings, a hanging, and attempt at suicide, and a fatal duel.”
-Louise Clappe

6. In the Field Hard, tedious work
Sluice for separation of gold from dirt with water
Excavating a river bed after the water has been diverted
Panning
16 hour days
Hard, tedious work
Long days digging up mud, dirt, and stones while standing knee-deep in icy streams
“The day of quick fortune-making was gone. There are thousands of men now in California who would gladly go home if they had the money.” –Miner, 1851

7. Chinese Immigrants Originally welcomed by Californians!
Once mining became difficult, attitudes towards immigrants changed.
1852, state legislature passed law requiring foreign miners to pay monthly fee to mine.
Most immigrants left, Chinese immigrants paid the tax and stayed
Americans began to bully Chinese into leaving
Many Chinese then left the mines to open businesses or begin farms.
From more than 20,000 Chinese immigrated to California (In 1852, 1 in 10 Californians was Chinesecutting their queues (braids) and burning their shacks

8. California becomes the 31st state!
The Compromise of 1850
Late 1849-California applied to enter the Union with a constitution preventing slavery, \
According to the Compromise of 1850, proposed by Kentucky’s Senator Henry Clay, California was allowed to enter as a free state, while the territories of Utah and New Mexico were left open to decide the question for themselves.
California becomes the 31st state!
provoking a crisis in Congress between supporters of slavery and abolitionists.

9. Legacy Positive Negative
By 1850, California had enough people to become the first state in the far west
Diverse group of both immigrants and emigrants
Economic opportunities
Native American population dropped drastically from warfare and disease (between population went from 150,000 to 30,000)
Many Californios lost their land to newcomers
During the Gold Rush, 250,000 people flooded into California.
Over $2 billion worth of precious metals were extracted during the Gold Rush
$81 million in gold was extracted by 1852 (then $45 million annually through 1857)

10. Image Analysis
As you glance at the next few images, note the following:
What kind of image is it?
When was this image created?
Who created this image?
How has the setting changed?
Population, boats, cars, streets, etc?

11. “View of San Francisco in 1846-1847 before the Discovery of Gold”
Artist: Bosqui Eng. & Print Company
Date created: 1884 (designed and copied from views taken at the time).
Image retrieved from the Library of Congress at

12. “San Francisco” Artist: Frank Marryat Date created: 1850
Image retrieved from the Library of Congress at

13. “San Francisco, 1862, from Russian Hill” Artist: C.B. Gifford
Date created: 1862
Image retrieved from the Library of Congress at