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How The California Gold Rush Shaped The State

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California has had many events in history that have shaped the state to what it is today. It all began with an event that would change the way people viewed California and an opportunity for the state to grow. One of the major events that changed the course of the state is the Gold Rush. The California Gold Rush had a huge impact in the state because it gave people the opportunity to better their economic circumstances. It also created a great migration and violence between different ethnicities that were all seeking the same thing. California was never viewed as a land of opportunity before the Gold Rush, this event created a state that was now viewed very different. This discovery had many different effects on people’s lives in the United …show more content…

He heard that a sawmill would have great profits and it would help him economically. With the help of his employee James Marshall, Indians, and Mexicans, they found a location in Coloma, California and began the construction. Marshall would always allow the river to flow through the millrace and do his daily check of the flow of the river. One morning on January 24, 1848, after checking the river he saw something shiny T the bottom of the river and scooped up a nugget that looked like gold (Rice, Bullough, Orsi, & Irwin, 2012). Marshall took it to get examined and make sure that it was really gold before letting his boss John Sutter know. When he was sure it was gold he let his Sutter know and they kept it a secret for a while. Both Marshall and Sutter gained nothing from the gold they actually both died with no wealth at all after discovering …show more content…

It is said to be, “arguably one of the most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century” (History.com Staff, 2010, para.1). Even though there was good and bad it made California a state of great opportunity for many people. California’s diversity is also an impact that the Gold Rush had. The migration during the Gold Rush led many people of all origins around the world, and it changed the culture of California forever. After the Gold Rush California would never be the

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