Jasmine Morales History 131 Debbie Roberts 17 April 2016 Views on Taming the West Mainstream media almost always portrays western settlement as “The Wild West.” Often misleading to perceive westward expansion as dramatic and pro-American. In reality, vast groups from all over the globe had different interests in immigrating to the west. An event that can be familiarized, and had a major impact in California settlement is the Gold Rush. Although it was an important historic event, way before the Gold rush new territory in the West was seen as an opportunity for colonial growth. Being an area already used by Native Americans; new California settlers such as the Spanish, Russians, John Sutter, American Pioneers, and international groups had different …show more content…
Sutter was a citizen of Mexican territory and owned a great portion of the Sacramento Valley. There he established a fort later known as Sutter’s Fort. Which later became an important refuge for Americans seeking economic growth and “Manifest Destiny.” John Sutter involuntarily labored Indians and people of other ethnic groups to work for him. His goal was to make this fort a welcomed refuge for American pioneers. Americans had implemented on an idea published in a newspaper by John O’Sullivan in which he wrote, ‘Our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for free development of our yearly multiplying millions.’(OM 369) He insisted to the American people that God had given them the right to spread democratic ways by expanding westward. This meant that they were on a calling to convert other nations to American ways, even if it meant by force. The Whigs (South) feared that if “Manifest Destiny” carried on, it encouraged the multiplication of slavery. Those that supported it traveled along the Overland Trails that reached California. These American pioneers faced some serious consequences traveling along these trails. There were instances where they faced detrimental conditions; rough terrain, drastic climate change, conflict with Indians, scarcity of food, and even death. John Sutter played a major role in California’s settlement, but it was after the rumor of gold on …show more content…
Twenty percent of them were not American. “Later known as “forty-niners” for the year the gold rush began in earnest, these people came from all over the world.”(OM 383) People from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and northern continent were part of the gold rush’s history. With the dream of finding gold and establishing a flourishing society just like all the others. For example, many times the Chinese involvement were left out of the picture. They came; immigrating from political controversy that was going on in their country. Although they did play a big role in the gold rush, their motive was not gold, but to find work. Foreigners were willing to work harsh, extensive hours for little pay. Americans were not willing to work long hours, wanted the Sabbath off, and demanded higher wages. As stated by Antonio Franco Colonel, “Those who came later [mainly Anglo Americans], were possessed by the terrible fever to obtain gold, but they did not get it because their digging yielded but little or nothing, or because their work did not correspond to what they took out.” (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
Kali Underhile May 15. 2023 Pace, 1-2 Hour Most of us have heard of the California Gold Rush while growing up in America. Many people do not know the real history behind it. After researching several topics for class, I have chosen to do a deeper dive into one particular Gold Rush character. John Sutter was an important and influential character in the California Gold Rush of 1848.
Faith Picotte History 310 (T-Th) Homework Ch. 8 1.Turner’s frontier thesis is deceptively draws and allure your inquisitive imagination into a grand scale visionary picture of settlements of specific regions, and the social societal processes. Americans realized the frontier formed and promoted a composite nationalist American society. The English dominated the coastal region. , later continental immigrants flowed towards the free lands of the frontier.
Over 300,000 people migrated to California during the California Gold Rush. One way that these migrants contributed to Westward Expansion was that they boosted the economy in California. Many small cities in California that had previously consisted of a few hundred citizens soon had tens of thousands of residents. Another way that the 49ers contributed to Westward Expansion was their impact on the Native Americans. As the mining industry in California grew, the Native’s sources for food were killed and contaminated by chemicals and silt.
At the news of the gold discovery a steady immigration commenced which continued until 1876, at which time the Chinese in the United States numbered 151,000 of whom 116,000 were in the state of California” (Norton 3). The Chinese additionally went to California because it was a developing state, wanted to find jobs and settle there, and “American businessmen actively sought Chinese laborers...” (Whiting
Not only was the gold rush able to benefit the United States, but it was also able to benefit other
California was born in the middle of many issues of conflict. Crisis over slavery, political legitimacy, and conflict over land, labor, race and ethnicity ( Competing Vision 132 ).During the mid 1800’s California saw many transformations, some positive some negative. There was a slow reservations development for Indians, but a better established land ownership. With certain political figures, who rallied to remove laws, which discriminated against African Americans and rather high religious tolerance, California was taking a distinct shape.
California in today’s world is a large, rich state where all the famous movie stars live. But back in 1848, only a few thousand people were living across the expanse of land. So how did John Sutter kick-start the biggest migration in United States history? The California gold rush accelerated the creation of California as a state because of the rapid influx of people following the discovery of gold, and the discovery of gold triggered a boost in the United States economy. At the time right before the gold rush, the United States was at war with Mexico.
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.
What people do not realize is that the agricultural industry was also very, if not more, successful than the mining industry. Not everyone who moved to California in hopes of finding gold was successful. In fact, most people who moved to California specifically to mine gold never even found any. After mining was unsuccessful for many people, they had to find new ways to make money. Many of these settlers began to start farms or get jobs on farms.
The Gold Rush, beginning in 1848 and ending in 1855, was a period in American history which opened the doors of opportunity to a new group of immigrants, the Chinese. The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill, California, in 1848 was the cause of mass Chinese immigration that would last for decades to come. When James Marshall discovered gold in 1848, there were fifty-four recorded Chinese in California, this number quickly rose to 116,000 by 1876. Title (Chinese Immigration During the Gold Rush: The American Encounter) The California Gold Rush allowed for immigrants, such as the Chinese, to encounter the various beliefs and suspicions of the American society.
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.
Americans were able to make thousands of dollars off of gold and immagrants and foreigners from all over the world came to California. Citizens became richer and all different cultures learned to
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.
Gold is just like money. Sometimes gold and money can get a person killed. Some people did die during the California gold rush. People like gold because it is shiny. You can melt gold and make a gold tooth.
On the day of January 24, 1848 James Wilson Marshall, found flakes of gold in the river of Sierra Nevada. Marshall and his partner John Sutter at the time were working on a water-powered sawmill in the mountains of Coloma, California. They tried to keep the news of gold being found to spread, but it was too late, word got out. Immigrants of Hawaii, Mexico, Chile, Peru, and China were the first to hear the news of the Gold in California and only later on did the east coast of U.S. hear the news. According to the article “The Gold Rush of 1848” people during the time would leave everything behind and travel to California in the hope of finding wealth and returning to their family back home afterwards.