The California Gold Rush

What was the California Gold Rush?

The California Gold Rush refers to the time when a huge wave of prospectors moved to California, to mine for gold.

When was the California Gold Rush?

Gold was first discovered in California in 1848. The California Gold Rush started in 1849.

Who discovered gold in California that started the Gold Rush?

James W. Marshall was the first to discover gold, at Sutter's Fort in California.

How many miners went west for the Gold Rush?

By April 1849, over 200,000 miners had travelled west.

What were the effects of the Gold Rush?

There were 6 consequences of the California Gold Rush.

• ❖ The American economy received a boost, which solved previous economic problems.
• ❖ California grew rapidly, becoming an official state in 1850. By 1855, the population in California was over 300,000.
• ❖ Huge farms and other businesses sprang up in California, making it a wealthy state where independance and wealth could be made. Farmers even started to export excess food around the world,
• ❖ The California Gold Rush was used as proof to some that Manifest Destiny was real.
• ❖ Problems with Native Americans on the trails to California increased.
• ❖ Mining camps were lawless places, where murder, claim jumping, racism, and assault were common.
• ❖ The wealth of the state was used in 1869 to pay for the first transcontinental railroad.
• ❖ There were racial tensions with Chinese miners.