California Gold Rush
1. In 1849, more than 80,000 forty-niners arrived in California in search of gold.
2. The gold seekers came either by sea or over the land using the Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, or through the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
3. Although 80% of the gold seekers were American, many people also came from Mexico, South America, Europe, Austrailia, and even China.
The Californios
1. With the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, all Californios became citizens of the United States.
2. Although the treaty gave them rights to their lands, those unable to prove what they owned lost their land.
3. The Land Law of 1851 created a group of people that checked the Californios' land rights.
Life in California
1. Boomtowns were built, almost overnight, to occupy gold seekers who had to rush from place to place in search of riches.
2. During the gold rush, many cities like San Francisco prospered and grew as more and more people arrived every day to find gold.
3. Although the California Gold Rush doubled the world's supply of gold, many did not find the wealth they were looking for and only lost large sums of money to merchants like Levi Strauss.
Gold Rush Society
1. Because the population of women in the mining camps was low, many lonely men found comfort in drinking, gambling, and fighting with others.
2. With no fear of the police or going to prison, many people commited robberies, murders, and many other crimes.
3. The citizens of these communities grew concerned and began to protect their homes by becoming vigilantes.
Economic and Political Progress
1. California's struggling economy expanded to fit the miners' needs and the population soared from 20,000 to 220,000 in only four years.
2. California took President Zachary Taylor's advice to apply for statehood and wrote out their requests in a constitution.
3. However, when California applied for statehood in March 1850, their reluctance to be a slave state caused arguments between the Northern and Southern states and they were not accepted as a state until six months later.
2. The gold seekers came either by sea or over the land using the Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, or through the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
3. Although 80% of the gold seekers were American, many people also came from Mexico, South America, Europe, Austrailia, and even China.
The Californios
1. With the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, all Californios became citizens of the United States.
2. Although the treaty gave them rights to their lands, those unable to prove what they owned lost their land.
3. The Land Law of 1851 created a group of people that checked the Californios' land rights.
Life in California
1. Boomtowns were built, almost overnight, to occupy gold seekers who had to rush from place to place in search of riches.
2. During the gold rush, many cities like San Francisco prospered and grew as more and more people arrived every day to find gold.
3. Although the California Gold Rush doubled the world's supply of gold, many did not find the wealth they were looking for and only lost large sums of money to merchants like Levi Strauss.
Gold Rush Society
1. Because the population of women in the mining camps was low, many lonely men found comfort in drinking, gambling, and fighting with others.
2. With no fear of the police or going to prison, many people commited robberies, murders, and many other crimes.
3. The citizens of these communities grew concerned and began to protect their homes by becoming vigilantes.
Economic and Political Progress
1. California's struggling economy expanded to fit the miners' needs and the population soared from 20,000 to 220,000 in only four years.
2. California took President Zachary Taylor's advice to apply for statehood and wrote out their requests in a constitution.
3. However, when California applied for statehood in March 1850, their reluctance to be a slave state caused arguments between the Northern and Southern states and they were not accepted as a state until six months later.
A Religious Refuge in Utah
1. Many Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints, came to Utah to live in religious harmony.
The First Mormons
1. In 1830, Joseph Smith founded a church in New York based on his views on property and polygamy but many disapproved of his Mormon religion.
2. Mormons went from New York to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, continuously searching for a place to settle in peace.
3. In 1844, Smith was murdered by a mob in Illinois and as their new leader, Brigham Young led the Mormons to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
A Haven in the Desert
1. In 1846, 12,000 Mormons migrated to an area that they decided to name "Deseret".
2. The Mormons worked hard to build towns, farms, and industries and make Deseret prosper.
3. After the U.S. acquired Utah from Mexico in 1848, Congress established Utah as a territory, but it did not become a state until 1896.
The First Mormons
1. In 1830, Joseph Smith founded a church in New York based on his views on property and polygamy but many disapproved of his Mormon religion.
2. Mormons went from New York to Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, continuously searching for a place to settle in peace.
3. In 1844, Smith was murdered by a mob in Illinois and as their new leader, Brigham Young led the Mormons to the Great Salt Lake in Utah.
A Haven in the Desert
1. In 1846, 12,000 Mormons migrated to an area that they decided to name "Deseret".
2. The Mormons worked hard to build towns, farms, and industries and make Deseret prosper.
3. After the U.S. acquired Utah from Mexico in 1848, Congress established Utah as a territory, but it did not become a state until 1896.