1. The California Gold Rush
Chapter 13 Section 4

2. California Before the Rush
Populated by Native Americans and Californios
Settlers of Spanish or Mexican descent
Lived on huge cattle ranches acquired from California missions.
John Sutter
Persuaded Mexican governor to give him land in 1839
Built a fort on 50,000 acres, dreamed of agricultural empire

3. Sutter’s Mill
In 1848, Sutter sent James Marshall to build a sawmill on the American River
“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”

4. Rush for Gold News of the discovery spread rapidly
Miners soon found gold in other streams
1849 thousands of gold seekers headed to CA: called “49er’s”

5. Reaching California
Fortune seekers had three ways to get to California:
Sail around South America
18,000 miles, storms, sickness, spoiled food
Sail to Isthmus of Panama, cross overland, then sail to CA
Risk of deadly tropical disease
Travel trails across North America

6. Who Went to California? Young men 2/3rds were white Americans
“A gray beard is almost as rare as a petticoat” Luzena Wilson
In 6 months she only saw 2 other women in Sacramento
2/3rds were white Americans
Others were Native Americans, free blacks, slaves
Mexico, Europe, South American, Australia, China

7. Conflicts
Began to force Native Americans, Mexicans and Chinese out of gold fields
Discrimination increased after CA became a state in 1850
Foreign Miners Tax: imposed a tax of $20 a month on miners from other countries
Most left or opened other businesses

8. Life in the Mining Camps
Mad Mule Gulch, Hangtown, Coyote Diggings
Began as rows of tents, then rough wooden buildings of stores and saloons
Mining towns were dangerous
A long way away from Mom and Wife: a “No” culture

9. Mining Life Pickings were rare Days spent in knee-deep icy streams
Sifted through sand and mud
Exhaustion, poor food, and disease
Outrageous high prices for basic supplies
Gamblers and con artists

10. Who became Rich? Merchants: Restaurants Hotels Boarding Houses
General Stores
Laundries
Wells, Fargo, and Co.

11. Impacts of Gold Rush 1852 Gold Rush over 250,000 now in CA
Caused economic growth
Port city of San Francisco became center of banking, manufacturing, shipping and trade.
Sacramento became center of a productive farming region

12. Impacts of Gold Rush Californios had property seized by Americans
Spanish Heritage still lives in CA and Southwest
Native Americans suffered disease, loss of hunting grounds, murdered
By 1870 their population went from 150,000 to 58,000
California became a free state, causing an unbalance in the Senate

13. Impacts of Gold Rush Transcontinental Railroad Environmental
Connected both coasts
Built up towns along the rails
Moved goods across the continent
Environmental
Used hydro mining, tore away hillsides and bluffs
Streambeds redirected due to digging
Fish were killed