The California Gold RushChapter 13, Section 4 (p. 439-443)

Forty-Niners People who went to California to find gold Began in 1849 Mostly men

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDkqvqqjMAA

A Discovery Changes California

Before 1849 Native Americans Californios – settlers of Spanish or Mexican

descent Mostly cattle ranchers

The Rush for Gold One month before the Mexican Cession

became part of the USA “My eye was caught be a glimpse of

something shining….It made my heart thump for I felt certain it was gold.” ~James Marshall, 1st discoverer

Sparked one of the greatest migrations in US history

www.youtube.com/watch?v=r03DKbVhfvU

The Rush for Gold, cont.

Travel Options Sail 18,000 miles around South America and

up the Pacific Coast Storms, Seasickness, Spoiled Food

Sail to Panama, cross overland, and sail to California Tropical disease in Panama

Travel the trails across North America Rivers, prairies, mountains, hardships

The Gold Seekers 2/3 American

Mexican, European, South American, Australian, Chinese

Chinese miners focused on “played-out” sites Mined the more difficult-to-find gold

Mining Camps Exhaustion, poor food, disease High prices for supplies

Impact – Opportunities and Turmoil

Admitted as a free state in 1850 African Americans could not vote

Californios Few, if any, legal rights Lost land

Native Americans and Foreigners

Native Americans Thousands died from disease and killed by

settlers Miners’ destruction of the environment

affected Native Americans’ survival Foreigners

Often forced out by Americans to reduce competition

Foreign Miners Tax $20 per month Many (Chinese) opened businesses in

response

Effects of Statehood Economic

San Francisco grew to become a center of banking, manufacturing, shipping, and trade

Sacramento became the center of an important farming region

Government California tipped the balance of slave and free

states in the USA

Dates Events Effects

1820-1840 •Westward trails move 1000s to new territories•Austin and others colonize Texas•Texans revolt against Mexico

•Native Americans are displaced•Earlier settlers are pushed aside•Republic of Texas is proclaimed

1841-1848 •Texas annexed as a slave state•Mexican Cession

•War with Mexico•Almost 50% of Mexican territory is acquired by the United States

1849-1853 •California Gold Rush•U.S. transcontinental railroad planned

•California enters Union as a free state•Gadsden Purchase completes expansion of the United States