The California Gold Rush
Chapter 13 Section 4
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
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”
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”
Reaching California

Fortune seekers had three ways to get to California:

Sail around South America


Sail to Isthmus of Panama, cross overland, then sail
to CA


18,000 miles, storms, sickness, spoiled food
Risk of deadly tropical disease
Travel trails across North America
Who Went to California?

Young men

“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
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
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
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
Who became Rich?

Merchants:

Restaurants

Hotels

Boarding Houses

General Stores

Laundries

Wells, Fargo, and Co.
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
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
Impacts of Gold Rush


Transcontinental Railroad

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