Westward Expansion During The California Gold Rush

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Over 300,000 people migrated to California during the California Gold
Rush. One way that these migrants contributed to Westward Expansion was that they boosted the economy in California. Many small cities in California that had previously consisted of a few hundred citizens soon had tens of thousands of residents. Another way that the 49ers contributed to Westward
Expansion was their impact on the Native Americans. As the mining industry in California grew, the Native’s sources for food were killed and contaminated by chemicals and silt. This caused many Natives to starve to death. Also, with the sudden increase in population, more farmland was confiscated from the
Natives in order to provide the 49ers with food. Furthermore, on April