Expansionism The California Gold Rush!!. California – Before the Rush.

Expansionism

The California Gold Rush!!

Expansionism

The California Gold Rush!!

California – Before the Rush

There’s Gold in Them Hills

January 24, January 24, 18481848

James Marshall, James Marshall, a carpenter, was a carpenter, was working for John working for John Sutter, building Sutter, building a saw mill.a saw mill.

Shhhhh!!!

When Sutter and When Sutter and Marshall realized it Marshall realized it was gold, they was gold, they wanted to keep it a wanted to keep it a secret!secret!

It was too late, the It was too late, the workers at the mill workers at the mill had already found had already found out!out!

GOLD!!!!!!!!!

Abandonment Once people Once people

believed:believed:– Farmers left their Farmers left their

plowsplows– Blacksmiths left their Blacksmiths left their

forgesforges– Tailors left their Tailors left their

needlesneedles– Sailors left their Sailors left their

shipsships– Doctors left their Doctors left their

patientspatients

Heading to California

Failure to PrepareFailure to Prepare– Men put on their best Men put on their best

clothes and bought a clothes and bought a few fancy toolsfew fancy tools

Without Preparation Without Preparation many men diedmany men died– DiseaseDisease– FatigueFatigue– Indian AttackIndian Attack– Rattlesnake BitesRattlesnake Bites– StarvationStarvation– Freezing to deathFreezing to death

Getting to California

Prospectors had Prospectors had three choices of three choices of how to get to how to get to CaliforniaCalifornia– Around Cape Around Cape

HornHorn– Through PanamaThrough Panama– The Overland The Overland

RouteRoute

Cape Horn A very long tripA very long trip If the ship didn’t carry the proper supplies you might If the ship didn’t carry the proper supplies you might

catch scurvycatch scurvy– Comes from a lack of vitamin CComes from a lack of vitamin C– Easiest WayEasiest Way

The Panama Route

By boat to PanamaBy boat to Panama– Overland and upriverOverland and upriver– Then wait for another Then wait for another

boat to take you to boat to take you to CaliforniaCalifornia

The quickest routeThe quickest route– If you didn’t get If you didn’t get

robbed or killed in robbed or killed in PanamaPanama

– Or Catch MalariaOr Catch Malaria

Overland Trail

The cheapest routeThe cheapest route– Most people took this Most people took this

routeroute– Must get to California Must get to California

before the snow in before the snow in the Sierra Nevada the Sierra Nevada MountainsMountains

– ““The Donner Party”The Donner Party”

The Gold Rush

The Gold Myth

Once you were in Once you were in California, your California, your cares were over.cares were over.– You could bend You could bend

down and pick up down and pick up gold in the streams.gold in the streams.

– You just needed a You just needed a strong sack and a strong sack and a strong back to haul it strong back to haul it all down from the all down from the hills.hills.

– You’ll be rich in no You’ll be rich in no time at all.time at all.

Who Got Rich?

The StorekeepersThe Storekeepers– The people who sold The people who sold

things to all those things to all those miners who poured miners who poured into Californiainto California

– Prospectors had to Prospectors had to eateat

– They needed tents, They needed tents, shovels, shirts, and shovels, shirts, and pantspants

Who Got Rich?

The Growth in Population

18481848– 812 people living in 812 people living in

San FranciscoSan Francisco

18491849– 80,000 people came 80,000 people came

to California in to California in search of wealthsearch of wealth

18501850– 25,000 people living 25,000 people living

in San Franciscoin San Francisco

Playing the Gold Lottery

““Gold mining is nature’s Gold mining is nature’s great lottery scheme. A great lottery scheme. A man may work in a man may work in a claim for many months, claim for many months, and be poorer at the and be poorer at the end of the time than end of the time than when he commenced; when he commenced; or he may take out or he may take out thousands in a few thousands in a few hours. It is a mere hours. It is a mere matter of chance.matter of chance.

– Louisa ClappeLouisa Clappe

The Mother Lode

California Gold Rush!!!

California Gold Rush!!!

California Gold Rush!!!

California Gold Rush!!!

California Gold Rush!!!

California Gold Rush!!!

What happened to John Sutter and James Marshall?

Did they get Did they get rich?rich?

–Gold made Gold made them poor!them poor!

John Sutter

John Sutter was John Sutter was afraid of gold!afraid of gold!– People got greedyPeople got greedy– People trampled his People trampled his

propertyproperty– Ate his CattleAte his Cattle– Left him ruinedLeft him ruined

James Marshall

Never profited from Never profited from the goldthe gold

He began to drink He began to drink and died a sad manand died a sad man

Is There Gold Elsewhere?

Gold was found in Gold was found in many other places!many other places!– OregonOregon– NevadaNevada– WyomingWyoming– MontanaMontana– ColoradoColorado

Silver was Silver was discovered in many discovered in many of these locations of these locations also!also!

The Comstock Lode

Richest mining Richest mining discovery in U.S. discovery in U.S. History!History!– Virginia City, NevadaVirginia City, Nevada

Consisted of Consisted of fabulous gold and fabulous gold and silver veins.silver veins.

Thousands poured Thousands poured into Virginia City.into Virginia City.

Comstock Lode Mine

Comstock Lode Mine

Comstock Lode Mine

Lasting Effects!

How did the gold How did the gold rush help California?rush help California?– Brought people from Brought people from

around the world to around the world to CaliforniaCalifornia

– It mixed rich and It mixed rich and poorpoor

– Gave California Gave California enough people to enough people to become a statebecome a state