11/29/2017
California Gold Rush
By: Elsa
Introduction
California is one of a kind. Have you ever wondered about California’s history. Around the 1850’s California had some worries and troubles.
Gold in California?
One cold day January 24 1848, Sutter’s Mill, California, a carpenter who was born in New Jersey, James Marshall was working on a sawmill. Suddenly, out of the corner of James Marshall’s eye there was a mysterious shiny glimpse floating in the American River. He picked up the mysterious object and decided to give the object to his friend to clean. After, the mysterious object didn’t only turn out clean but, also yellow. Truly, the object was true gold. James Marshall was so thrilled, that he showed the gold to his friend, John Sutter. The two quarreled and decided to keep the gold a secret.
Quick News?
The news spread slowly at first, though no one knows how the news spread. Sam Brannan was a person who heard about the gold rush and wanted San Francisco to believe that there is gold in California. Sam Brannan wrote a newspaper but San Francisco was not convinced. He did not give up so one day Sam Brannan went to San Francisco, California holding a bottle of gold in his hand. “Gold, gold, gold at Sutter’s Mill, California!” he said. Finally, San Francisco was convinced. Though not only San Francisco knew about the gold rush. Suddenly, people from all around the United States and the world were coming to California for gold. People also came from different countries to California!
Settlers Seek Gold?
When the California Gold Rush started, California had about 15,000 people. Later, at the end of 1848 lots and lots of people stormed into California and raised the population up to about 100,000. Finally, when the California Gold Rush was near the end, California had about 380,000 people. Prospectors looked for gold and lots of people went to California to find gold because there was a gold rush currently there. Although it wasn’t that easy to travel to and from California. Unfortunately, there wasn’t only Americans who lived in California, Native Americans also roamed the lands. Prospectors and Native Americans often got angry at each other. This lead to fights commonly. People who panned for gold were called forty-niners according to the year, 1849. Sutter’s Mill was crowded with people. James Marshall and John Sutter both knew that there wasn’t going to be that much gold left to make them both wealthy. Near the end of the gold rush, California had enough people to be a state.
Success or Not?
Some people sold tools to prospectors who would walk by. Lots of prospectors bought tools to pan for gold at Sutter’s Mill. Some panners got wealthy from gold, but to others gold didn’t make them much of a living. Although, people who sold tools to prospectors got a lot of money. Some prospectors didn’t get the money that they wanted. This lead prospectors to stay in California. This is one reason that California’s population rose. The gold rush ended in about 1860. After the gold rush, some prospectors stayed in California and grew crops. James Marshall and John Sutter were disappointed that they didn’t get that much money to become wealthy.
When did the California Gold Rush End?
Finally, to some people the gold rush was a success, but to others it wasn’t. Truly, the gold rush was a hard and interesting time in the United States history!
Bibliography
Monroe, Judy. The California Gold Rush. Bridgestone Books, 2002.
https://califgoldrush.weebly.com/native-americans2.html
Hirsch, E. D. Pearson Learning Core Knowledge. Pearson Learning Group, 2002.
