A. Gold is Discovered A. Found by John Marshall at Sutters Mill in 1848.

A. Gold is Discovered

A. Found by John Marshall at Sutter’s Mill in 1848

B. Mining Methods

1. 1. Placer Mining:Placer Mining: The most The most popular; Ran water over dirt to popular; Ran water over dirt to uncover the heavier gold.uncover the heavier gold.

2. Panning2. Panning

This was a cheap This was a cheap & simple method & simple method that required few that required few tools. Performed tools. Performed alone or in small alone or in small groupsgroups

Feeling Lucky?

C. The 49ers

1. Over 80,000 gold-seekers in 1849.

2. 95% of prospectors were unmarried men.

3. Most went home with little or nothing.

D. Mining Towns

Crime & violence were very common.

III. Effects of the Gold Rush

A. New Businesses

1. Mining towns attracted people selling goods & services to miners. 2. Denim was used for tough work clothes.

Levi Strauss

B. Opportunities for Women

To make money women, cooked, cleaned & opened boardinghouses for miners.

C. Immigrants1. 24,000 Chinese migrated to CA

– Suffered from:

DiscriminationViolence

2. Gold-seekers 2. Gold-seekers also came from also came from Europe, Mexico & Europe, Mexico & South America.South America.

D. Changes In California

• Grew rapidly

• Become a state in only 2 yrs.

•Both farming & Both farming & industry grew.industry grew.•Gold resulted in Gold resulted in higher prices - higher prices - inflationinflation..

1. Population

2. Economy 2. Economy