New Settlers in California and Utah Chapter 12, Section 4 New Settlers in California and Utah

California Gold Rush 1849 People rushed to California looking for gold They became known as the “forty-niners” Doubled the nation’s gold supply Americans made up 80% of the forty-niners. The Chinese immigrants established California’s Chinese American community

California Migration Trade Routes

The Californios The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo made the Californios American citizens The Land Law of 1851 reviewed the Californios’ land rights Most of them lost their land

Life in California Boomtowns were built rapidly San Francisco grew from a tiny village to 20,000 people Most of the forty-niners did not find gold, but lost all their money to gambling or wild spending The merchants made huge profits, charging whatever they wanted since they were the only suppliers of goods Among the merchants was Levi Strauss, who sold denim pants to the miners. His “Levi’s” made him rich

Gold Rush Society The mining communities were full of drinking, gambling and fighting Concerned citizens took the law into their own hands, acting as police, judge, jury and sometimes executioner They were known as vigilantes

Economic and Political Progress California’s population increased from 20,000 in 1848 to more than 220,000 only four years later New president, Zachary Taylor, urged California to apply for statehood in March of 1850 California’s state constitution banned slavery, so the Southern states objected making it a state However, it was admitted to the Union six months later

A Religious Refuge in Utah Mormons, or members of the church of Latter-day Saints, occupied the Utah territory They had migrated there to fulfill their vision of the godly life It was the largest single migration in history

The First Mormons Joseph Smith founded the Mormon church in 1830 He believed that property should be held in community and that God had called him as a prophet to restore the ancient church He formed a community in New York, but was forced to move to Illinois Smith was killed by a mob in Illinois, so Brigham Young took over as head of the Mormon church and moved the community to the Great Salt Lake

A Haven in the Desert The Mormons built their communities in an area known as “Deseret.” In 1848, when the U.S. acquired the Salt Lake area from the war with Mexico, it established the Utah Territory The Mormons had several disputes with the federal officials. Utah did not officially become a state until 1896.

Manifest Destiny- by Thomas Gast