Gold rush and immigration

Gold rush attracts immigrants An average of 80,000 immigrants made the journey to California in the 1850’s Britain, Europe, China, Australia, North and South America California developed a diverse society Variety of religions, languages, and social customs Impacts of immigration on California 1. Native Population Plummets 2. Californios Lose Power, Land, and Privileges 3. White Americans vs. “Foreign Miners”

Impacts of immigration: Native Population Plummets Native American population went from an estimated 150,000 in 1848 to 30,000 12 years later Native American territories were being invaded by foreigners; they mined, hunted and documented native groups’ remote hiding places As means for survival, natives began raiding mining camps This led to repeated organized war parties led by miners In some cases entire native groups were slaughtered The miners were supported by the state government State legislature passeed the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians in 1850 Native Californians were denied the right to testify in court and allowed white American and Californios to keep natives as indentured servants

Impacts of Immigration: Californios Lose Power, Land, and Privilege U.S government was an imposition to the elite Californios Californios were given full citizenship Promised their land would be “inviolably respected” Mexiccan land grants: difficult to uphold land grants Californios who legally won titles to their lands, found themselves in bankrupcy

Impacts of immigration: White Americans vs. “foreign miners” Latin American miners Californios feared being lumped in with the thousands of Spanish-speaking immigrants A foreign miners’ license tax, 20 dollars per month, was adopted by California legislature The tax was aimed at Latin Americans or “greasers” The tax gave white miners the excuse to push Latin Americans out rich mining areas

Impacts of immigration: White Americans vs. “foreign miners” Chinese Miners An estimated fifth of miners Earned a living by working abandoned mines, cooks, launderers, merchants, and herbalist hoping Low pay, foreign mining tax, and discriminatory hiring made it difficult for Chinese immigrates to be successful African American Miners California entered the U.S as a free state Lack of government allowed slavery to flourish in certain areas African Americans lived under constant threat of arrest due to the Fugitive Slave Law; illegal for enslaved African Americans to flee their masters states “free borders”