California Gold Rush

By: Zelda Zane

April 26, 2007

Why did they come?

• James Marshall discovered Gold discovered in Colima, CA on the American River

• January 24th, 1848

Who Came

Thousands of young adventurers with a collective dream--a year of pain in return for a lifetime of riches. They were dubbed "forty-niners" because they left home in 1849.

How did they get there?

• Clipper Ship

• Isthmus crossing

• Overland

Clipper Ship

• The sea route around the tip of South America often took more than six months.

• Seasickness

• food full of bugs

• Water impossible to drink.

• boredom

Isthmus Crossing

• a quicker route was soon employed across Panama

• rain forests of Central America

• Malaria and cholera

• Stranded waiting

Overland

• shorter than the sea route

• Not faster, two miles per hour--for up to six months

• fear of the Native American tribes

• lack of water

Arrival in California

• What first: Get supplies- picks, metal pans, long lasting clothing, and cradle

• What next: Set up Camp

• Where to go: Sierra Nevada Mountain Range: Stake a claim

Mining Life

• A bucket of dirt yields 10 cents in gold.

• 160 buckets a day to make $

• 10 hours and finding $10 worth of gold.

• Accidents, disease, malnutrition and the violent habits high mortality rate.

• one in every five miners dead within six months

Who Came and Stayed

Latinos lost in the rush

Indian’s misfortune

Blacks prospered

Chinese left mark

Women in the Gold Rush

Gold Rush Quiz

1. What year did James Marshall discover gold?

2. What was the name of all the people who immigrated to CA to find gold?

3. What were the three modes of transportation usedto get to California?

4. Name two supplies that a miner would need to get started mining