The California Gold Rush
The California Gold rush took place in 1848 and was a significant event in American history
that shaped the country into major expansion and profitable growth. Everyone’s life in
America was changed and history was made when news came out that gold was in California
by a man named James Marshall. The gold fever spread like wildfire. Average
merchandisers, growers, carpenters, storekeepers and other working men and some women
left their well stable jobs to pursue getting rich. Everyone had seem to heard the news about
the newly sought out treasures and even the poor and rich sought out to find the gold to
become wealthy. Whether the stories of gold were inflated or not, people fled to California,
which wasn't an easy thing. Everyone traveled from all across the globe. People came from
Asia and European countries in a boat but the most common method of transportation was the
station wagon from the east. The trip was horrible and took several months to get to
california. But the drive of gold kept men from quitting. These men included crooks, growers,
tradesmen, rich and poor likewise, all hoping to get rich. America was greatly affected by the
gold rush. sadly, because of rapacity and racism, the worst bloodbath of Indians in American
history passed during this time. The law permitted the payoff and enslaving of Indians. Also,
because of the cart trains heading west, most of the buffalo and creatures were meager . This
caused the starvation of numerous Indians. But the gold rush also had a positive effect on
America. It created rapid-fire Western expansion into California. The Megacity of San
Francisco expanded its population. California became the land of occasion which drew
people from around the world with the dream of having a new and better life.