Gold Rush Impact On American History

The Gold Rush took place in 1849 and was discovered on January 24, 1848. James Marshall found gold on the American river in Northern California. Who called the Gold Rush is a historian Malcolm J. Rohrbough. Malcolm discovered the name and called it the Gold Rush. The Gold Rush was the most significant event in U.S history between the louisiana purchase and outbreak of the civil war. Gold Rush had important economic, social, and political implications. In 1848 James K Polk notified congress in his annual message and gold fever broke out. Thousands of people made their way as a group or individually to the west coast. These were called companies and they helped lessen the cost of the trip and often belt not always disbanded when they arrived

The cost before the Gold rush was only about 25 cents and since there were no banks, miners kept wealth on their person or at their campsite. Miners are known for being honest and the most generosity people. A New England dentist set up practice in North California and Returned to New Hampshire 4 years later and earned 2,800.00. Only few women worked in gold fields, Many moved to California and wanted to marry a miner or providing some domestic service miners needed. In 1850 Women in Sacramento could make $150.00 a month doing housework while men were hired for $75.00 a month to build levees. Average farm laborer in the U.S earned $10.85 a month with board,Women made $100.00 a week washing clothes. Gold was easy to find that had already been mined. Gold reached its peak in 1854, and $81 million was taken from the gold fields. In 1854 miners could obtain jobs and they were making about $75.00 a month. Discovery of gold had national an international impact. The U.S provided 45 percent of world 's gold between 1851 to 1855. The discovery caused U.S commodity prices to leap and compelled workers in the east to strike in order to protect their standard of