Leading up to Gold Rush US-Mexican War: California under loose
control of Mexican Government Population: 100,000 Native Americans
in Sierra Nevada Mountains, 10,000 Californios in towns and
ranches, 2000 US Citizens, and a few hundred Europeans Californios
lived on huge ranches that had been granted by the Mexican
Government. February 2, 1848: Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo signed to
end the US-Mexican War
GOLD!! James w. Marshall discovered gold on January 24, 1848 He
worked for Jon Suttera major landowner trying to create an
agricultural empire in California News that James Marshall had
spotted gold at Sutters Mill spread to San Francisco first in May
of 1848 People from the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), Oregon, Mexico,
Chile, Peru, and China headed for California in Summer-Fall 1848
People along the East Coast were the last to hear about the Gold
Rush.
Gold and Goodbyes Thousands of men left their homes and
families behind and headed for California Women would move in with
relatives or fended for themselves Children wrote letters to their
fathers traveling to California The Gold Rush really took off in
1849
Journey to California By 1849, the non-native population grew
to 100,000 people. Mainly men from all over the world attempted
journeys to California to mine for gold and make their families
rich. There were three main routes the forty-niners took to
California The Oregon-California Trail The Panama Shortcut Around
Cape Horn These three routes contributed to Westward Expansion in
the US
Chart of Westward Expansion
Farmers Search for Prosperity Even a prosperous farmer might
make two-three hundred dollars a year Mining for gold presented the
chance of taking $25 - $35 of gold a day. Gold was free to anyone
who could find it Businesspeople in California began making
significant money by charging miners for supplies and
services.
Competition for the Gold Competition for gold became greater
and greater Lack of success in mining for Americans began to be
blamed on foreign miners rom Mexico, Chile, Peru, and China
Violence towards them became quite prominent during the gold rush
Many miners ended up going home penniless Even John Sutter and
James Marshall fell into poverty
What Next? For the miners who stayed, some started businesses
in boom towns or farmed in fertile valleys San Francisco became the
largest and most important city in the West Some miners struck at
rich Sadly, many miners died of diseases like cholera, from
accidents in the gold fields, or on their journey to
California
Conclusion The Gold Rush transformed California in many ways
Population grew dramatically Towns, cities, and businesses thrived
Made California the most famous American stateor Golden State
