Accompanying the turn into the 19th century was a significant need for expansion across the North American continent. Some of the largest migrations in U.S history spanned the period starting in the early 1800s and ending with the eventual closure of the American frontier in the early 1890s (National Geographic). There are a variety of reasons why people expanded westward, however the most influential and impactful ones to people of the time were: starting a new life and finding a home, acquiring wealth quickly, and because of the influence of beliefs such as Manifest Destiny. One of the major and most common reasons for why people expanded westward was to start a new life and find a home. In the 1830s and ‘40s unemployment and spurts of illness …show more content…
Increasing immigration rates put pressure on cities and little land was available in the East for these new settlers. Dissatisfaction with the enlarging urban population led many Americans to move West” (University of North Texas). Among the opportunities for discovering a new place to live was the idea of traveling on The Oregon Trail. The Oregon Trail was about 2000 miles long, from Missouri to Oregon County, and led thousands of people from their former homes to a place where they could start their new lives (Postlethwait). On the Oregon Trail, some people chose to travel with only one wagon which would have carried themselves, their family, and some of their belongings while others chose to move in large groups alongside many other people and wagons. One of the greatest examples of a major wagon migration occurring on the trail took place in the spring of 1843. According to Gibson, “Every time people heard of someone who had successfully made the trek over the Oregon Trail, it ignited the dreams of others looking for land and opportunities. Americans had caught "Oregon fever." Nearly 1,000 people gathered at Independence, Missouri, in the spring of 1843 to travel …show more content…
During the winter of 1848 in California a significant discovery was made. Real gold was located at Sutter’s Mill. Word spread quickly across the American continent and thousands of people began their journey to California in search of riches. "The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on January 24, 1848 unleashed the largest migration in United States history and drew people from a dozen countries to form a multi-ethnic society on America's fringe. The promise of wealth forever altered the life expectations of the hundreds of thousands of people who flooded California in 1849 and the decade that followed" (PBS). Alongside the massive influx of people entering the region of California was a massive increase in infrastructure to aid with the housing of the people and economic growth. This allowed California to become a state very quickly after it was ceded by Mexico (Norwich University Online). Another way some people attempted to accumulate wealth was by cattle ranching. Many saw the vast amount of cattle roaming around the frontier as an opportunity to make a profit. So people, named “cowboys,” rounded up the cattle and herded them over to railroad terminals. Rice University stated that, “Between 1865 and 1885, as many as forty thousand cowboys roamed the Great Plains, hoping to work for local ranchers.” With the amount of people rushing towards California in search of gold and cowboys
California untold stories,” 1998. Explains why and from where people come from to see if all the talk is real about a new business of gold. Marshall's discovery prompted a mass migration to California. people across the U.S. and around the world, such as Europe, Australia, Latin America and Asia. The discovery of gold had a mass amount of people that came at a time of hardships and drought in the area they lived.
Name: Maddux, Korzenko Date 5/25/2023 Mrs. Cimini / Mrs. Golden Westward Expansion Westward ExpaWestward Expansion Table of Contents Introduction Louisiana Purchase Lewis and Clark The Oregon Trail Native American Struggles California Gold Rush Introduction Westward Expansion was a time of many events, and in this report I will talk about a bunch of important events about the Westward Expansion. Some of these included the Louisiana Purchase, or the famous explorers Lewis and Clark who explored many lands.
The cost of living at the beginning of the Gold Rush, was dramatically increasing as more people traveled to California in search of gold. In the article “The Gold Rush,” it states “In 1849, San Francisco’s population skyrocketed from 812 to 20,000 people. The cost of land soared – the same plot of land which had cost $16 in 1847, sold for $45,000 just eighteen months later. Prices of goods and commodities also rose. Fresh produce was in high demand, with apples selling for $5 each and a dozen eggs for $50”.
The great California gold rush began on January 24, 1848. News of Marshall’s discovery brought thousands of immigrants to California from elsewhere in the United States and from all over the world. Under the flag of "gold seeking", the populations of California increased dramatically. Resulting in a rapid immigration of people from other parts of the world into the lands of California. For example, as of San Francisco, population significantly raised over 20,000 by 1850.
prospectors came from all over the world from far away as europe. The gold rush of 1849 set the foundation for california’s future success. Through the increase of entrepreneur, the gold rush made america more socially diverse by drawing many cultures from around the world. The California
The gold rush started in 1849 and ended in 1855 which started the reason for immigrants and people to travel out West. Next the expansion out West caused the drive for success with the ability to strike gold, this opportunity that did not exist before caused the government to keep expanding causing groups of people to interact that had no interest of doing. However this lead to speculation of how good the West really was and the misrepresentation that you would strike gold and go from nothing to success overnight. “This expansion caused San Francisco to become the 8th largest city in the U.S in 1890 with a population of 300,00 increasing from 1848 of 1,000”. The gold rush was prevelent in the expansion out West and jump started the populations growths out
“Historical Impact of the California Gold Rush.” Historical Impact of the California Gold Rush, 2 Oct. 2017, Historical Impact of the California Gold Rush LO, C. “From Gold Rush to Golden State : Early California History: An Overview : Articles and Essays : California as I Saw It: First-Person Narratives of California's Early Years, 1849-1900 : Digital Collections : Library of Congress.” From Gold Rush to Golden State, The Library of Congress, n.d., https://www.loc.gov/collections/california-first-person-narratives/articles-and-essays/early-california-history/from-gold-rush-to-golden-state/ John Umbeck, “The California gold rush: A study of emerging property rights”, Explorations in Economic History, Volume 14, Issue 3, 1977, Pages 197-226, ISSN 0014-4983, https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4983(77)90006-7,
California Gold Rush of 1849: The Legendary Movement The California Gold Rush was a legendary movement that occurred in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s when James Mar-shall discovered gold at Sutter Mill later causing thousands of people to migrate from all over the world to California. Miners during the gold rush had a very tough life. Gold was not very common considering it was a gold rush.
Whole societies had been attacked and pushed off of their lands by the 49ers (gold-seekers). With the population increase, in order to meet the needs of the settlers, the expansion of agriculture and ranching was necessary. Later during the Gold Rush, farming spread to supply settlers’ camps, taking more and more land from the natives. Another result of the Gold Rush was a big one. In the year 1849, California applied for statehood.
California was never viewed as a land of opportunity before the Gold Rush, this event created a state that was now viewed very different. This discovery had many different effects on people’s lives in the United
The California Gold Rush When an American thinks about the history of the state of California, what exactly comes to mind? An article written on the website of http://www.history.com/topics/gold-rush-of-1849 explains, “The discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 sparked the Gold Rush, arguably one of the most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century.” With this event beginning on January 24, 1848, the history of the United States would forever be altered. The California Gold Rush is known in common households all over the United States.
(United States 1849)people mostly men borrowed money for property or spent their life 's saving to make the arduous journey to California. The gold miners, (49ers)have traveled across the mountains to panama or even around to Cape Horns. After 1850 ,the surface gold in California disappeared. Gold started to get more difficult for
Have you ever imagined yourself traveling from Tennessee all the way west to Oregon with only a group of families, a wagon, and a constant shortage of food? Here, in Tennessee, going to states that are in the far west, like Oregon or California, isn 't that difficult. Though the trip takes some time, improved ways of transportation like cars, trains, and planes gets us to any destination in a matter of hours or days. Well back in the early 1800’s, American Settlers had many hardships moving west during the Western Expansion. Without the availability of any modern transportation, their journey was by foot, cattle, or wagon, which would take dreading months of starvation and work.
The California Gold Rush began in 1848 when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. The discovery of gold sparked a massive influx of settlers, mostly young men, to California, leading to a period of rapid population growth and economic development. The discovery of gold also led to the establishment of boomtowns, such as San Francisco, that were filled with prospectors and entrepreneurs looking to make their fortune. The Gold Rush brought a diverse group of people to the region, including miners, merchants, entrepreneurs, and even criminals. The gold rush saw a large influx of immigrants from Latin America, China, and other parts of the world, many of whom worked in the mines or provided services to miners.
The trail was a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which allowed the American government to forcibly remove Natives from their lands in the southeast and move them to territories west of the Mississippi. This was a dark chapter in American history and a reminder of the devastating effects of manifest destiny and the forced displacement of indigenous peoples (Bertolet). The Cherokee tribe suffered the most during the relocation. The Cherokee had a very rich culture and a long history of their life in the southeast. They had a written language, complex social structure, and even a thriving economy.