26.18 Social Studies Research Paper: The California Gold Rush

Happi Signe 3.26.18 Social Studies Research Paper

“A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush, which peaked in 1852”. The California gold rush started when James W. Marshall found a piece of gold in the American River when building a sawmill, for John Sutter at Sutter’s Fort. The gold rush attracted 300,000 people to California. Many of the people who planned on traveling to the territory wanted to become wealthy by mining gold and then return to their homes and family. However, life during the gold rush was difficult and many Native Americans and prospectors experienced hardships

Native Americans were deeply affected by the California gold rush in a negative manner. They

Native Americans didn’t see the value of gold at the time, however, some of those who found the metal had made trades with settlers. Many of the trades made were not fair trades for Native Americans. “The settlers believed this not to be wrong and it wasn't considered a crime for stealing their claim. What fueled the settlers to do their crimes was that in a nine year period(1848-1852) an estimated 24.3 million ounces of gold was prospected during the California Gold Rush; the value of the is around $6.9 billion worth of the precious metal. ($285 an ounce)”. Some prospectors also decided to enslave Native Americans. Native Americans were a considered a source of cheap labor. Children were also taken from their parents and were to be purposeful slaves. For example, the man who influenced the start of the gold rush, John Sutter, had hundreds of Native Americans working for him. According to Blakemore, John Sutter “used them [Native Americans] as a free source of labor and a makeshift militia with which he defended his territory”. Another example is in the article “California’s Little-Known Genocide” written by Erin Blakemore. It states, “‘Whites are becoming impressed with the

The cost of living at the beginning of the Gold Rush, was dramatically increasing as more people traveled to California in search of gold. In the article “The Gold Rush,” it states “In 1849, San Francisco’s population skyrocketed from 812 to 20,000 people. The cost of land soared – the same plot of land which had cost $16 in 1847, sold for $45,000 just eighteen months later. Prices of goods and commodities also rose. Fresh produce was in high demand, with apples selling for $5 each and a dozen eggs for $50”. In addition, the new settlers would need to buy clothes and food to survive. Therefore, many newer inexperienced prospectors didn’t have the money to buy what they needed. The average miner would earn about $10 per day. If a miner was to only be able to make $10 a day, then he wouldn't be able to afford the cost of food. Tori Avey expands upon this topic, “Because of the high price of food, several firsthand accounts of gold rush life depict times of near-starvation. Nutrition, unfortunately, was not high on a miner’s list of priorities. Fruits and vegetables were scarce and as a result, many miners suffered from scurvy. Forty-niners also hated to tear themselves away from their search for gold and turned to quick meals that could be cooked over hot ashes”. This was dangerous because scurvy can be deadly if it is not treated. Even if a miner was to rest and eat properly for a day or two, they would be losing time