Chapter 13: Manifest DestinyChapter 13: Manifest DestinySection 4: The California Gold Section 4: The California Gold

RushRush

Chapter 13: Manifest DestinyChapter 13: Manifest DestinySection 4: The California Gold Section 4: The California Gold

RushRush

Until 1848 California was Until 1848 California was populated by 150,000 Native populated by 150,000 Native

AmericansAmericans And 6000 CaliforniosAnd 6000 Californios

(Spanish or Mexican (Spanish or Mexican settlers)settlers)

(When Mexico owned (When Mexico owned California they didn’t want California they didn’t want any American foreigners any American foreigners

there)there)

One Swiss immigrant One Swiss immigrant did move there though did move there though – – JohnJohn Sutter (3)Sutter (3) – who – who convinced the Mexican convinced the Mexican governor to give him governor to give him 50,000 acres of land 50,000 acres of land

(for a farm)(for a farm)

Sutter was having a sawmill built, and one Sutter was having a sawmill built, and one day his carpenter found some gold on the day his carpenter found some gold on the

ground.ground. Well, you know what Well, you know what

happens next – EVERYONE happens next – EVERYONE (thousands) want to come (thousands) want to come to California to get rich as to California to get rich as part of the part of the California gold California gold rush (6).rush (6).

California was a hard California was a hard place to get to (way out place to get to (way out west and over the west and over the Rockies) but people still Rockies) but people still came (mostly young men came (mostly young men though).though).

These people are called These people are called 49ers because they 49ers because they started their started their migration migration (30/44)(30/44) to California in: to California in:

18____18____

Moving to a new place

1 ounce of gold:1 ounce of gold:size/weight of one penny todaysize/weight of one penny today

Today: worth Today: worth about ____ dollarsabout ____ dollars

In 1849: worth In 1849: worth about ____ dollarsabout ____ dollars

(it would take a (it would take a cabinet maker cabinet maker about 200 hours about 200 hours work to make work to make that much that much money)money)

Why was gold so Why was gold so “magical”/special?“magical”/special?

In the mid 1800’s: it was In the mid 1800’s: it was an easy way to get rich - an easy way to get rich -

quickquickToday’s ways to get rich quick:Today’s ways to get rich quick:

Lottery / GamblingLottery / Gambling

Investments?Investments?

StealSteal

Sell DrugsSell Drugs

Today’s ways to get rich quick:Today’s ways to get rich quick:

Lottery / GamblingLottery / Gambling

Investments?Investments?

StealSteal

Sell DrugsSell Drugs

People came from all over the People came from all over the worldworld

About 2/3 were Americans.About 2/3 were Americans. Also: Native Americans, Also: Native Americans,

free Blacks, and even free Blacks, and even some enslaved African some enslaved African Americans.Americans.

Some from Mexico. Some from Mexico. Others from Europe, South Others from Europe, South

America, Australia.America, Australia. Even China (by 1851 10% Even China (by 1851 10%

of the miners were Chinese of the miners were Chinese – and they ended up being – and they ended up being some of the best miners).some of the best miners).

Very few women – it just Very few women – it just wasn’t the kind of thing wasn’t the kind of thing “ladies” did.“ladies” did.

Living there was Living there was

For one thing, you can For one thing, you can guess how men would live guess how men would live if there were never any if there were never any women around.women around.

Miners “camped out” a lot Miners “camped out” a lot more than they lived in more than they lived in “homes.”“homes.”

Looking for gold was hot, Looking for gold was hot, sweaty and dirty work.sweaty and dirty work.

There was great There was great competition for the best competition for the best “claims.”“claims.”

And there were always And there were always people looking to cheat people looking to cheat you, or simply rob you of you, or simply rob you of anything you found.anything you found.

How to find gold:How to find gold:

PanningPanning Crevicing / Crevicing / DiggingDigging

For fun and entertainment:For fun and entertainment:

Bull and bear fightsBull and bear fights Bear and donkey Bear and donkey

fightsfights WrestlingWrestling BoxingBoxing Magic ShowsMagic Shows

By 1852… By 1852…

The gold rush was The gold rush was mostly over.mostly over.

All the easy gold All the easy gold had been found.had been found.

The government The government put a tax on put a tax on foreign miners – foreign miners – that most of them that most of them couldn’t affordcouldn’t afford

There were other There were other gold rushes, but gold rushes, but California is the California is the one people hear one people hear about the most about the most

Montana, Colorado, Montana, Colorado, Alaska, Alaska, Central/South Central/South AmericaAmerica

The gold rush had a huge The gold rush had a huge impact on California – even up impact on California – even up

to todayto today California (and the San California (and the San

Francisco area became Francisco area became centers of banking, centers of banking, manufacturing, manufacturing, shipping, and trade.shipping, and trade.

Today – if California Today – if California was it’s own country it was it’s own country it would be the sixth would be the sixth richest nation IN THE richest nation IN THE WORLD (because of all WORLD (because of all it’s resources and how it’s resources and how they’re used)they’re used)

But even though some good things But even though some good things happened happened

for the U.S. – for the U.S. – that doesn’t always mean good things for….that doesn’t always mean good things for….

Native AmericansNative Americans Of course – again – Of course – again –

they lost a lot of land.they lost a lot of land. Many died from Many died from

diseases brought by diseases brought by the newcomers.the newcomers.

Miners would even Miners would even hunt them down and hunt them down and kill them sometimes.kill them sometimes.

Or the original Spanish Or the original Spanish and Mexican settlers.and Mexican settlers.

Many lost all their Many lost all their legal rights and their legal rights and their heritage (34 and 45)heritage (34 and 45)

Many lost all their Many lost all their property.property.

Your culture and what you Your culture and what you get from your ancestorsget from your ancestors

Enough people did move to California Enough people did move to California that it could become a statethat it could become a state

A free stateA free state

California is home to more California is home to more than 10 percent of all than 10 percent of all Americans and a central Americans and a central element in the American element in the American cultural fabric. Although cultural fabric. Although more than two-thirds of more than two-thirds of native-born Americans live native-born Americans live in their state of birth, fewer in their state of birth, fewer than half of all Californians than half of all Californians were born in the state. were born in the state. Rather, California has been Rather, California has been an important destination for an important destination for U.S. internal migration in U.S. internal migration in nearly every decade since nearly every decade since 1850. 1850.

And now there was And now there was one more free state one more free state than slave states – than slave states – and that would cause and that would cause more political more political turmoil turmoil (41 / 46)(41 / 46)

(people getting (people getting upset)upset)