California Gold Rush Research Paper

Once gold was discovered in California, word began to spread and people began to immigrate into California, which resulted in the state being developed and settled faster than any other frontier. Masters, along with African Americans, journeyed to California, in hope of finding gold during the Gold Rush. By 1852, there were at least 2,000 African Americans living in California. As population sped up, the Native American population decreased dramatically. Before the rush had started, there were 150,000 Natives living in the state of California. Twelve years later, that number decreased to 30,000. The Gold Rush aided western expansion and resulted in rapid development of California. The California Gold Rush first began in 1848, when gold was

Whole societies had been attacked and pushed off of their lands by the 49ers (gold-seekers). With the population increase, in order to meet the needs of the settlers, the expansion of agriculture and ranching was necessary. Later during the Gold Rush, farming spread to supply settlers’ camps, taking more and more land from the natives. Another result of the Gold Rush was a big one. In the year 1849, California applied for statehood. The state was admitted to the Union in 1850, becoming the U.S. 31st state. Environmentally, the Gold Rush had devastating effects. The use of high powered jets to mine gold, and hydraulic mining, were popular in the 1850s. Although it brought high profits, it brought great devastation to California's environment by tearing up the land. In order for miners to have a water supply, dams demanded that the logging industry was created, and the forests of California paid the price. Economically, there was a massive shortage of labor throughout the state during the Gold Rush, because many workers left their jobs to search for gold. Apart from the labor shortage, the economy flourished. $81 million had been harvested from the gold mines in the year 1852 alone. California was not the only state's economy to take off, the rest of the United States’ economy was successful, because they had invested in the gold

Miners and farmers came together to kill the majority of the natives. In 1848, there were 150,000 natives in California, but two years later, there were only about 30,000. Foreigners mined, logged, and hunted on native groups' camps. Because of the foreigners actions towards the natives, it led to the Native Americans raiding the mining camps for survival, causing a violent cycle. American miners would then slaughter entire groups of natives and organize war parties. Over 250 natives were murdered between the Clear Lake Massacre and the Hayfork Massacre, where only one white man was killed. Thirteen peace treaties were eventually established, but were all broken due to unfair treatment of the natives. The diseases that the white men brought also resulted in a decrease in the native population. When it came to the social impact of the Gold Rush, people from all around the world journeyed to California, hoping to find gold. Towns complete with shops began to appear all over the area. People of many different ethnicities lived together in California. In March, 1848, the non-native population was only around 800. By the end of 1848, the non-native population had risen to around 20,000 people, and continuously increased to 100,000 by the end of