Lesson Objectives To explain what caused the gold rush and its impact on the west in terms of costs and benefits.

Panning for gold. Dirt was gathered from the river bed and washed away the lighter grains until hopefully finding gold. This is sometimes called gold prospecting. Why did the Forty- Niners go West in 1849?

"I reached my hand down and picked it up; it made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold. The piece was about half the size and shape of a pea. Then I saw another."

Why did the 49ers go West? The discovery of Gold was a HUGE PULL factor attracting people to the American West. By the end of 1848 over 10,000 people had headed West to start digging for gold. Many more people followed in 1849 and they became known as the ‘forty-niners.’

Most people never found any gold - the main areas had been claimed. The mining camps were rough, wild places. Most people tried panning for gold but the large gold reserves were deep underground, and only the rich could afford deep mines. Many Cornish professional miners moved in to dig deep, and these were backed financially by banks and businesses in the east. They founded mining towns such as Humboldt, Virginia City and Bannack.

A romantic view of the Gold Rush In what way do you think this picture has been romanticised?

The reality of the difficulties involved in the Gold Rush was much harsher

Negative effects of the Gold Rush Racial violence - the gold rush attracted people from across the world - Europe, China, Mexico, black Americans and Indians. The mining towns saw terrible racial riots. The local Indians were nearly wiped out too. Poor quality of life - most people had to live in dirty tents or cabins. Fever and cholera killed many people. Law and order - gambling, drinking and prostitution were rife. Many were murdered as claims were stolen (claim-jumping). There were no courts or police to prevent crime. Vigilantes - miners set up their own courts to deal with crime or disputes. Vigilante groups often lynched people and operated above the law. Sometimes even the sheriffs were criminals, like Henry Plummer of Bannack.

A Chinese Gold Miner

A Vigilante Mob in action

Good effects of the Gold Rush 1848 was a huge turning point - new areas of settlement were growing. San Francisco went from a sleepy village to a major city-port, rivalling New York. Other industries grew like ship-building, construction and later, railroads. It made the USA a world trader, and California became a rich state, forcing the east to forge links west.

Women were also Gold Miners

There were other Gold Rushes More gold rushes followed the 1848 California one: Pikes Peak, Colorado Idaho (inc silver) Montana Arizona Dakota. This last one was to bring the US government and the Indians to a full scale war.