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In 1848 a man named John Sutter commissioned a builder named James Marshall to build his sawmill. He was shocked when Marshall accidentally struck gold on the building site. Sutter and Marshall attempted to keep the discovery a secret, but soon, the gold strike became news worldwide. Mining towns were set up, and tens of thousands of people flocked to them, hoping to strike it rich. But in just two years, these towns became ghost towns, abandoned and empty. This is the story of the California Gold Rush.
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Sign up for freeWhich is not one way forty-niners came to California?
When did John Sutter settle his colony in Sacramento?
When did James Marshall discover gold?
True or False? President Polk confirmed the presence of gold in a Congressional address.
The mass migration of gold-seekers headed west began in
California became a state in
California became the _______ state.
Which is not an effect of the Gold Rush on native Californians?
Goldminers worked in
Which is not one way forty-niners came to California?
When did John Sutter settle his colony in Sacramento?
When did James Marshall discover gold?
True or False? President Polk confirmed the presence of gold in a Congressional address.
The mass migration of gold-seekers headed west began in
California became a state in
California became the _______ state.
Which is not an effect of the Gold Rush on native Californians?
Goldminers worked in
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Team California Gold Rush Teachers
| Time | Event |
| 1839 | John Sutter settled a colony near the Sacramento River. |
| 1846-1848 | Mexican-American War. |
| 1848 January | Sutter sent James Marshall to build a sawmill along the river. He discovered gold. |
| 1848 December | President Polk mentioned California gold in a Congressional address. |
| 1849 | Gold-seekers headed to California, earning the nickname "forty-niners". |
| 1850 | California became the 31st state in the Union. |
| 1860 | California's population reached 300,000 residents. |
California was sparsely populated before the Gold Rush. It was a common place for traders from Mexico and the United States to meet, so aside from the indigenous people who had settled in the region, there was little permanent settlement. American merchants traded factory-made goods for gold and silver coins, animal hides, and other goods.
Fig. 1: Sutter's Fort
Before the Mexican-American War, Mexican officials discouraged American settlement. One exception was John Sutter, who was permitted to start a colony. When Sutter came to California, he appealed to the governor, Juan Bautista Alvarado, for land to settle. He was permitted to settle the land, but he had to become a Mexican citizen first. Sutter's land was seen as a way to stop American encroachment into Mexican land.
Fig. 2: Sutter's Mill.
In January 1848, James Marshall was tasked with building a sawmill near the Sacramento River. Sutter's Mill is located near the present-day city of Coloma. It was here as Marshall and Sutter discovered gold.
Fig. 3: John Sutter.
John Sutter and James Marshall had agreed to keep the gold discovery a secret. However, it was not long before others found out. Many of Sutter's workers quit their jobs to go search for gold. Miners came from the surrounding areas like Monterey and San Francisco. Californios and Native Americas followed them.
Californios
Hispanic Californians descended from Mexican or Spanish settlers.
Rumors of a gold discovery swept the nation, fueled by President Polk discussing the gold rush in a congressional address in December 1848. Crowded ships from the northeast landed in San Francisco. Thousands of wagon trains crossed the Missouri River. Future miners came from all over, all excited by the prospect of the gold rush.
Fig. 4: James Marshall
California Gold Rush Miners
In 1849, people began flocking to California from all over the world. Around 80,000 came to California in the hopes of striking it rich. Those who came to California to find gold were nicknamed "forty-niners" after the year they traveled in.
Most forty-niners arrived in San Francisco, later becoming a trading post and stopping point for those traveling to California during the Gold Rush.
The first miners to arrive at a claim were often successful and could easily reach gold deposits. Those that arrived later were not as successful. Unsuccessful miners turned to other methods of survival. Some went to work for mining companies, while others switched gears and began farming.
Did you know?
Miners were young, unmarried men who had minimal experience in mining. It was not uncommon for mining towns to have saloons filled with gamblers and prostitutes.
Miners struggled with severe inflation. A large amount of gold in circulation in California led to extremely high prices for food and goods. Once the supply of gold decreased, mining towns were abandoned.
The California Gold Rush ended in the 1850s. The excitement fizzled out as the gold supply dried up. Mining towns became ghost towns as the residents moved on to somewhere with a more plentiful gold supply.
People all around the world rushed to California to mine for gold. Here are some facts about them.
Over 20,000 men immigrated from China to California after gold was found. However, they were not welcomed in California.
Did you know?
At the time, there was famine and economic problems in China, which made the gold in California appealing to these men.
The Californian government placed a high tax on all foreign miners. Some Chinese men were attacked. Many Chinese immigrants abandoned mining and moved to San Francisco, where they became established in the business community.
Fig. 5: Chinese Fisherman in Mendocino, CA.
Around 5% of immigrants during the gold rush were women and children. Women made money by cooking, washing clothing, and running boarding houses for miners.
The California Gold Rush had both positive and negative effects. It was positive for the United States, which gained a new territory but devastated the Native American tribes.
California experienced severe population growth after the discovery of gold. By 1850 there were enough residents for California to become the 31st state. California's government had been small before the gold rush. It was not prepared for the influx of residents. President Taylor encouraged California to craft a state constitution that condemned slavery. California then applied to be admitted to the Union.
A federal census was conducted in 1860, counting over 300,000 residents. This was more than double the population of California before the gold rush.
Fig. 6: California State Flag.
Californios and California Native Americans were impacted negatively by the population boom. At the start of the gold rush, there were approximately 150,000 native Americans. By 1861, a little over a decade later, only 30,000 were left. They lost their lives to violence and disease. Their natural habitats and way of life were destroyed.
In the absence of gold, Californians began cultivating wheat and raising cattle in the central valley. Farming and ranching became an essential way for many to make a living. Agriculture became a large part of the Californian economy.
Fig. 7: California's Central Valley.
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What was the California Gold Rush?
The phrase Gold Rush refers to the rapid movement of people hoping to find gold in the region.
When did the California Gold rush begin?
The California Gold Rush began in January 1848.
When did the Gold Rush end?
The Gold Rushed ended in the 1850s.
How did the Gold Rush affect California?
California experienced rapid population growth. Native Americans were harmed by disease and violence.
How did the Gold Rush affect California's population?
California's population skyrocketed. There was a huge influx of people from all over the world looking for gold.
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