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How Was California Gold Rush A Turning Point In American History

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Joshua Gillingham Humanities Jorge Cerna May 8th, 2023 “How did the Gold Rush change the course of the development of California?” A minor but substantial find in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California in the winter of 1848 ignited a frenetic rush of fortune seekers, turning the formerly quiet frontier into a frenzied epicenter of gold fever. The promise of wealth and opportunity attracted a varied group of migrants from all over the world, forever altering the direction of California's growth and leaving an enduring legacy that still influences the state today. What happened next was a turning point in American history. An iconic example of the establishment of secure property rights in the absence of legal authority is the California …show more content…

It saw a surge in the manufacture of flour mills, timber, clothing and leather, as well as an explosion in the creation of mining machinery and equipment. Wholesale and retail were established to meet the customers' rising demands, and new roads, bridges, ferries, wagons, and steamships were constructed (Norwhich University Online).The United States emerged as a new market for the commodities produced and manufactured abroad, and the markets and economy brought about by the Gold Rush looked to "emerge out of nowhere". However, the Gold Rush had a negative impact on the environment, with soil becoming polluted, trees being cut down, waterways becoming clogged with silt, and wildlife being exterminated (Norwhich University …show more content…

"California Gold Rush". Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Dec. 2022, California Gold Rush Accessed 22 March 2023. California State Parks, State of California. “Gold Rush Overview.” CA State Parks, 2023, Gold Rush Overview Online, Norwich University. “Historical Impact of the California Gold Rush.” Historical Impact of the California Gold Rush, 2 Oct. 2017, Historical Impact of the California Gold Rush LO, C. “From Gold Rush to Golden State : Early California History: An Overview : Articles and Essays : California as I Saw It: First-Person Narratives of California's Early Years, 1849-1900 : Digital Collections : Library of Congress.” From Gold Rush to Golden State, The Library of Congress, n.d., https://www.loc.gov/collections/california-first-person-narratives/articles-and-essays/early-california-history/from-gold-rush-to-golden-state/ John Umbeck, “The California gold rush: A study of emerging property rights”, Explorations in Economic History, Volume 14, Issue 3, 1977, Pages 197-226, ISSN 0014-4983, https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-4983(77)90006-7,

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