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UNIT 9: Growing Nation
UNIT 9: Growing Nation
LESSON: California Gold Rush
LESSON: California Gold Rush
8.55 Analyze the discovery of gold in California, its social and economic impact on the U.S., and the major migratory movement (including the forty-niners and Asian immigrants).
8.55 Analyze the discovery of gold in California, its social and economic impact on the U.S., and the major migratory movement (including the forty-niners and Asian immigrants).
The California gold rush
The California gold rush
In 1848, a worker in California discovered gold. Newspapers announced the discovery. By 1849, thousands of people, called the 49ers, were heading to California in search of gold. The arrival of so many people was called the "Gold Rush."
EFFECTS OF THE GOLD RUSH
EFFECTS OF THE GOLD RUSH
Most people seeking riches discovered only little or nothing at all. They spent most of their money on supplies. The people who made the most money were those who sold goods to the gold seekers.
California’s population boomed. The population crowned from 800 non-native residents in March 1848 to more than 100,000 people by the end of 1849.
Many towns and settlements spring up. San Francisco grew from 1,000 people to more than 20,000 people between 1848 and 1850. Leaders wrote a Constitution for the state of California and sent representatives to Washington D.C. to make a California a state.
Transportation routes, such as roads, ferries, and steamboats, were built to travel across the country. The rush boosted the national economy, as demand grew for goods and supplies to support the gold rush.
CHINESE IMMIGRANTS
CHINESE IMMIGRANTS
Many Americans left California in disappointment. In the 1850's, many Chinese immigrants took their place. They love China to escape hunger after a floods and droughts. Some work in mind or other low-paying jobs. Others opened up small businesses, such as stores, hotels, restaurants, or laundries.
The Chinese immigrants were hard working, frugal, and peaceful. Yet, they looked different, had different religious beliefs, and enjoyed different foods. As a result, they faced racism and attacks. They were forced to pay special taxes. Attacks against Chinese groups were common. But they stayed, and many turned to new professions.
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