1. 13.4 CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH

2. EARLY CALIFORNIANS California was populated by as many as 150,000 Native Americans and 6,000 Californios, settlers of Spanish or Mexican decent. John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant 50,000 acres in the unsettled Sacramento Valley Sutter sent a carpenter named James Marshall to build a sawmill on the nearby American River Sutter sent a carpenter named James Marshall to build a sawmill on the nearby American River Marshall found gold

3. RUSH FOR GOLD Three routes to California: 1. Sail 1,800 miles around South America (risk storms/spoiled food) 1. Sail 1,800 miles around South America (risk storms/spoiled food) 2. Sail to Panama, cross through the jungle, and sail to California(risk diseases) 2. Sail to Panama, cross through the jungle, and sail to California(risk diseases) 3. Travel across North America (risk braving rivers, prairies, mountains and such) 3. Travel across North America (risk braving rivers, prairies, mountains and such)

4. LIFE IN THE MINING CAMPS Murders, accidents, bloody deaths and mob whippings Miners had to pay outrageously high prices for basic supplies Miners had to pay outrageously high prices for basic supplies Gamblers and con artists Gamblers and con artists

5. MINERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD 2/3 of miners were white Americans 2/3 of miners were white Americans Native Americans, free blacks, and slaves also worked Chinese Miners Chinese Miners  Patient, hard-working  “Played out sites” yield profits Foreign Miners Tax- $20/month to mine

6. IMPACT OF THE GOLD RUSH Ruined many Californios Native Americans suffered  Diseases  Miners hunted down and killed thousands By 1849 California had enough people to apply for statehood Admitted as a free state in 1850 Admitted as a free state in 1850