USA gained control of California Mexican-Amer war Mexican-American War ended USA had control over Mexican territories in the West—including California

John Sutter Swiss immigrant Started a colony—Sutter’s Fort Encouraged many American settlers to move West to his colony

Donner Party Donner Party Group of western travelers who went to California but were stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter 42 of 87 died

Gold in California Gold in CA 1848, Sutter’s carpenter, James Marshall, found a piece of gold by a river near Sutter’s mill. Sutter’s other workers found out and quit to search for gold. Learn more about the discovery of gold: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbgold.html

Forty-niners in California Stories spread and, in 1849, about 80,000 gold-seekers came to California looking for gold These gold-seeking migrants to California were called forty-niners. Most forty-niners arrived in San Francisco Learn more about the forty-niners: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbforty.html

‘Gold Fever’ Gold Fever Many forty-niners did not have mining experience They would prospect, or search for gold, along the banks of streams or in shallow surface mines The first person to arrive at a sight would “stake a claim.” Learn more about the mines: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbmines.html

Mining Mining When one ‘gold digger’ abandoned a claim, other people would take over, hoping for success. Place miners used pans or other devices to wash gold nuggets out of loose rock and gravel. $60 million in gold production in 1853

Life in the Mining Camps Most miners were young, unmarried men Lots of people, supplies limited, prices rose = inflation Value of land increased Loaf of bread might cost $.05 in the east and $.75 in California

Immigrants to California Gold attracted immigrants to California from around the world 24,000 Chinese immigrants—they faced much discrimination, yet continued to work in gold mines Many immigrants stayed—California is the most populous state today

Impact on California + Because of the population boom- USA made California the 31st state in 1850 - Many people discriminated against those who looked different (mainly Californios and California Native Americans), and felt they had no right to have the gold

Economic Growth + New businesses and industries stimulated the economy + People found other ways to make a living besides mining--farming and ranching - Obstacle to growth: California isolated from rest of country Import/export difficult + Railroad extended to CA in 1869 to aid import/export Learn more about the economic growth: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbrush.html