The Pros And Cons Of The California Gold Rush

Matt Rosoff Mr. Simonelli U.S. History 1 22 March 2024 The Negatives of the California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush of 1849-1855 was a major event in American history that drastically changed the country as we know it today. It led to a massive migration from all over the country and other parts of the world, and greatly shifted the economy. Acclaimed author and historian Robert W. Johnson said “The gold rush forever changed the face of California, transforming it from a sleepy outpost into a bustling state” (Johnson, 2012). On approximately January 24th 1848 James Marshall found a few small pieces of 23 Karat gold at Sutter's mill, officially starting the California gold rush. Not long after, an estimated three hundred thousand people migrated to California

Many died of disease or by accident” (PBS 2019). All these hardships led to endless death and agony for almost every miner who stepped foot in a gold mine during the California Gold Rush. Therefore, even if a miner struck it rich, the physical and mental burden that the miners faced made their jobs substantial. Additionally, the California Gold Rush was a negative event for the United States because of the discrimination of various ethnic groups in California. “It is common to hear vulgar Yankees say of the Spaniards, 'Oh, they are half-civilized” (Shirley 1850). This quote is from an excerpt written by Dame Shirley, also known as Louise Clappe, who was an American writer known for writing the Shirley letters, which was her account of life in California during the Gold Rush. Shirley outlines how it wasn’t a rare occurrence for Spaniards working in the mines to be discriminated against. The Spaniards, similar to the natives, were constantly assaulted and harmed during this time period. Researchers with History.com stated about the Native Americans in the Gold Rush that ”perhaps the biggest losers were the Native Americans of Gold Rush-era