The California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush; an era of hope, greed, destruction, and growth. The California Gold Rush was, in the 1800s, a direct pathway to the American Dream. In January 1848 James Wilson Marshall found gold in the American River. This new discovery spread throughout the United States and eventually throughout the world. After President Polk confirmed the rumors of gold in California in 1848 (Oakland Museum Staff), around 250,000 people came to California in seek of the soft metal that could lead to a fortune: gold (The forty-niners). The California Gold Rush not only presented fortune, it presented a new idea of the American Dream: “‘one where the emphasis was on the ability to take risks and the willingness to gamble …show more content…
People like foreigners and women were presented with challenges on their journey. In fact, in 1882 the campaign to restrict immigration created the federal Chinese Exclusion Act, which stopped the Chinese from migrating for 10 years. This prevented the Chinese from achieving the American Dream for that time period. Also, the government placed a tax on immigrant mining, charging them $500 a month, in this time (Maranzani). Women also had a difficult time during the Gold Rush. Many women had to stay home making only 8% of California female. The American Dream, ultimately, was only applicable by American men during the California Gold Rush. Not only was the Gold Rush kept from women and foreigners, it also discriminated against …show more content…
It left behind many legacies, ideas, and opinions. If the California Gold Rush never happened, perhaps California wouldn 't be a state and most definitely wouldn 't be the diverse area it is today. In California there is diversity, economy, and hope which wouldn 't be here if it weren’t for new races migrating to California. On the flipside, without the Gold Rush California would have a more stable population of Native Americans in California, and it would have mountains and rivers that we don 't have today. The California Gold Rush did, however, change the United States and the American Dream
At the time no one believed there was gold in California. On the 28th later that week Marshall rode into to town and had the metal tested at it turned out to be gold. Starting from that moment the word that gold had been discovered in this new frontier known as California started a world-wide craze. People traveled from the farthest of places to seeking fame and fortune in the new world. From 1848 to 1856 around $456 million dollars in gold had been discovered in California.
Name: Joshua Shou Mrs. Farley, Mr. Kennedy Humanities 9 Niemoller November 16th The Effect of Harsh Environment, The Role of Women, and Economical Trade on the Klondike Gold Rush. Have you ever heard of something and thought something was too good to be true, and then you realize it was a fraud all along? The Klondike Gold Rush caused a similar reaction, as over 90,000 prospectors left their jobs and homes to journey into the Klondike in search of Gold to end up empty-handed. During their journey, they had to cope with extreme harsh conditions through Alaska as well as interact and trade with the natives.
(TTP 181) For reasons like these immigrant miners were preferred, often leaving American miners unemployed. This was a cause of envy and tension between different racial groups. People from all over the world were contributors to the gold rush although it is not conveyed as an international historic
It goes like this; immigrants would make the trek to California with big hopes, only to be let down when they find the gold wasn’t as easy to find as they thought. They would then get jobs in the fast growing cities. Negatively, this did cause troubles for the Native Americans as it exploited them. The Native Americans fell victim to genocidal attacks, starvation, and diseases. In 25 years from 1845-1870, it is estimated that the Indian population in California fell from 150,000 people to about 30,000.
California gold rush On January 24,1848 James Wilson Marshall was from New Jersey and had found flakes of gold in the American river at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Coloma,California. The gold that had been found was spread around. The people from Oregon (Hawaii) and Latin America were the first to hear the news. In 1884 the Latin America arrived to test their luck in California.
Discovery of Gold The discovery of gold introduced immigrants, gold rushers, miners, loggers, railroads and infrastructure community to Washington State. The immigrants or settlers came to Washington to look for gold and the discovery of gold helped increasing the population in Washington. In order for gold to be found, there were prospectors, miners and loggers that were there to find a way to complete their mission by finding gold. After gold has been discovered, it introduced an infrastructure community in small towns across the west.
In December 1848, President James Polk announced during a speech that there was more gold in California than people had previously thought. Miners came by the thousands across land, and sea to find the gold and the journeys that
“The obstacles of the past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings. ”-Ralph Bloom. Many chinese immigrants fought for their future,lives,and rights. Chinese immigrants were misunderstood because of their culture,looks,clothing styles,etc.
The California Gold Rush was amongst one of the many attractions that America offered. However, the Chinese immigrants had many difficulties on their way to following the American Dream. An obstacle they had to overcome was the laws of their imperial monarchy of the time, the Qing dynasty of China. Their rule, which lasted from 1875 to 1908, had opposing views on the working class of China migrating to America and is what postponed immigration for many Chinese people. Those who were able to immigrate were second and third class and often came without much wealth, enduring the poor living conditions on their transportation, with small cabins and terrible food.
Did you know that the start of the California Gold rush brought more than 250,000 people west to California? The Gold Rush was a defining time in the history of California. The outcome of the California Gold Rush was a significant compromise in the nineteenth century because it led to forming of towns as people migrated, forming of California as a state, and the Compromise of 1850. On January 24, 1848, a discovery was made that changed many Americans’ lives. January 24, 1848 James W. Marshall, a carpenter from New Jersey, discovered gold.
The Gold Rush supposedly inspired the largest mass movement of people in world history because of the incredibly large masses of gold being found in the West. People found thousands of dollars in gold and people of all different cultures and backgrounds moved Westwards in hopes of finding gold as well. The Gold Rush left a positive effect on American History because Americans became wealthier and more foreigners came to California which expanded diversity. To start, Americans were able to sell this gold in exchange for loads of money. One man who only had a piece of land that was four feet square “got thirty pounds of gold in less than a month.”.
women who made it to Klondike and sold claims, took over the kids and fed the family when the men were gone, and provided and covered up jobs and other duties men took up before they journeyed to Klondike. An example of an influential women was Kate Carmack, also known as “Klondike Kate.” Kate was a very strong woman; she had a strong compassion and understanding with miners. “As a dance hall “percentage girl,” Kate danced with the miners after her performances, earning commissions on the drinks she sold. My best night I earned 750$, mostly just talking to a lonesome miner.”
I. The California Gold Rush is one of the most known gold rushes in the U.S. The phenomenon was started by James Marshall when he found gold in the American River and he said “My heart thumped for I knew it was gold.” Because of his findings the California Gold Rush was born in 1848, then died seven years later in 1855. During these seven years California accumulated over 300,000 people that left their homes to mine for gold.
The California Gold Rush was a rush of people in search of gold in California. The gold was discovered in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 which sparked the gold rush. The rush was a huge influence in how America was shaped into what it is today. It shaped California into what it is today. Without this gold rush California would be like it is today but it would have taken way more years and it wouldn’t be such a diversely populated state.
It was discovered on January 24th 1848 by James Marshall in California. A quarter million people migrated to California for the chance to get rich and other personal reasons. Foreigners from all around the world came to America to either search for gold or the new opportunities open. As time progressed corporations were formed that could buy new technology and workers to search for gold and several boom towns had formed in California. As more and more people moved west the United States faced another issue.