1. California Before the Gold Rush
Spain had set up missions in CA to secure their claims to the area

2. California Under Mexico
Mexico, when they gained their independence, converted the missions into presidios
Offered citizens land grants, called rancheros, if they moved to the California Territory

3. Americans Moving West
In search of land ownership, at a cheap price, many who lived in the U.S. looked west
Louisiana Purchase
Oregon Country
Mexican Territory
Texas
California

4. Why Oregon & California instead of the Great Plains?
1. Fertile Land

5. 2. Manifest Destiny 3. Accessibility by Ship 4. Trade China
Spice Islands

6. Some people were willing to trek to Northern California
Year-round mild climate
Sufficient rainfall for farming
Potential trade ports

7. Main CA Destination: San Francisco Area
Had a deep and large natural harbor
Had inland rivers that fed into it
Difficult to access from east coast by land and/or water

8. Getting to California before 1848
1. By Land or
2. By Sea

9. By Land
To the end of the Oregon Trail
Then south to California

10. Getting to California by Land
Many were reluctant to move to California because the Sierra Nevada Mountains were difficult to get around and there was no known route through them that could be reached before winter

11. Getting to California by Ocean
Passing South America around Cape Horn was treacherous, cold and may cost lives

12. Panama: Short Cut Get off on eastern coast of Panama
2-3 day hike from Gulf of Mexico to Pacific Ocean
Wait for a ship on western coast
Could take a few days or months
Often ended up being the same ship
Risk catching malaria and dying

13. Destination in CA: Sutter’s Fort
Many who came to CA sought refuge at Sutter’s fort
Founded by John Sutter during Mexico’s control of CA

14. Founder: John Sutter Born in Switzerland as Johann Sutter
Failed Businessman
1834 he left his wife and kids to try his business luck in America
Came to California in 1839

15. Sutter’s Fort Farmed wheat, barley, peas and beans
Produced & traded whiskey & brandy
Exported wheat to Russia
Issued passports to American Immigrants -- his future customers

16. Hastings Cutoff
Hasting knew there had to be a more direct way to get to Sutter’s Fort in California
Without ever traveling the cutoff, he published directions and they were sold to pioneers on the Oregon Trail

17. Donner Party
The Reed & Donner Families left Springfield, IL on April 18, 1846
They joined the Russell Train outside of Independence, MO
The train left in mid May, 1846

18. Donner Party decides to take the short cut
In July they get word that Hastings will lead trains across his short cut
Hastings would meet trains at Ft. Bridger in present day Wyoming

19. Hastings had already left Ft
Hastings had already left Ft. Bridger by the time the Reed-Donner Party arrived
With 74 people and 20 wagons the Donner Party sets off to catch up with Hastings
Some ride ahead to catch him
Hastings advises they take a different route

20. They spent 15 days hacking through the terrain of the route Hastings suggested
The Donner Party was now about 3 weeks behind the Hastings Party & would never catch up

21. The Donner Party made a few wrong turns and barely made it to the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountains before winter

22. They had also wasted a lot of precious time backtracking

23. By the time they reached the Sierra Nevada, winter had arrived early and the Donner Party missed the opportunity to cross the Sierra Nevada by 1 day

24. The Snow cut them off until early Spring

25. They built makeshift housing and resorted to cannibalism in order to survive

26. Rescue
Some members of the Donner Party had gone ahead to Sutter’s Fort before the snow had completely cut them off
They were able to get help but the snow prevented any rescue attempt until early spring

27. Statistics of the Donner Party
Of the Donner family: George his wife died at the camp, so did his brother Jacob and his wife, and almost all the Donner children
James Reed had reached Sutter's fort and led one of the rescue parties.  His family survived 
Patrick Breen’s family all survived
In total, of the 87 men, women and children in the Donner party, 46 survived, 41 died.

28. Spring Rescue The rescue parties were horrified at what had happened
Few survivors were ever willing to talk about what happened
James Reed
& daughter
Patty

29. News of the Donner Party
News of the Donner’s fate spread all over the U.S.
Emigration to CA dropped drastically until gold was found near Sacramento in 1848

30. 1. How did Spain secure their claim to the California Territory?
They set up forts every 100 miles along the coast
They set up trading ports in San Diego, San Pedro, Monterey, and San Francisco
They formed a treaty with England, France, Russia, and the United States
They established missions

31. #2.Why were so many people living in the United States moving west before 1848? Choose all that apply
To own land
To get away from the recession in the east
To search for gold
To start a new life
Fulfill the belief in Manifest Destiny
Profit from trade with Asia

32. #3 Why were some people attracted to northern California?
Because it was easier to get to than Oregon
Because of the mild climate
Because the Native-Americans were peaceful

33. #4 Why was California so difficult to reach?
Had to sail around south America or cross the Andes to get there
Had to either sail around South Africa or cross the Appalachian Mountains to get there
Had to travel to Oregon first or sail around South America or cross Panama and risk malaria

34. #5 Where was the main destination for U.S. emigrants to California?
Sutter’s Fort
San Francisco
Sacramento
Los Angeles
Monterey

35. #6 What delayed the Donner Party?
They rested too often
They got lost and also spent too much time hacking a new path
They had to stop due to illness & fatigue

36. #7 Why did emigration to California drop in the mid 1840s?
There weren’t any settlements in California
The land was not suitable for farming
California was too difficult to reach by ship
The fate of the Donner Party scared off potential emigrants

37. 1. How did Spain secure their claim to the California Territory?
They set up forts every 100 miles along the coast
They set up trading ports in San Diego, San Pedro, Monterey, and San Francisco
They formed a treaty with England, France, Russia, and the United States
They established missions

38. #2.Why were so many people living in the United States moving west before 1848? Choose all that apply
To own land
To get away from the recession in the east
To search for gold
To start a new life
Fulfill the belief in Manifest Destiny
Profit from trade with Asia

39. #3 Why were some people attracted to northern California?
Because it was easier to get to than Oregon
Because of the mild climate
Because the Native-Americans were peaceful

40. #4 Why was California so difficult to reach?
Had to sail around south America or cross the Andes to get there
Had to either sail around South Africa or cross the Appalachian Mountains to get there
Had to travel to Oregon first or sail around South America or cross Panama and risk malaria

41. #5 Where was the main destination for U.S. emigrants to California?
Sutter’s Fort
San Francisco
Sacramento
Los Angeles
Monterey

42. #6 What delayed the Donner Party?
They rested too often
They got lost and also spent too much time hacking a new path
They had to stop due to illness & fatigue

43. #7 Why did emigration to California drop in the mid 1840s?
There weren’t any settlements in California
The land was not suitable for farming
California was too difficult to reach by ship
The fate of the Donner Party scared off potential emigrants

44. Answers: D
A,B,D,E,F B C A
1848: John Marshall finds Gold on Sutter’s Land

45. Routes to the West
Unit Objective: examine the cause and effects of Independence Movements west & south of the United States; investigate and critique U.S. expansionism under the administrations of Van Buren, Harrison, Tyler, & Polk.

46. Routes to the West Map Exercise
Turn to the map in your unit packet titled Routes to the West which shows the main trails followed by people traveling to the Southwest, Oregon, and California during the early and mid-1800s.

47. Routes to the West 1: Independence 5: Independence 2: Nauvoo Rock
Print the following place names next to the corresponding numbers:
1: Independence
2: Nauvoo
3: Fort Kearney
4: Fort Laramie
5: Independence
Rock
6: Fort Bridger
7: Salt Lake City
8: Fort Hall

48. Routes to the West 9: Fort Boise 12: Sacramento 10: Whitman
Print the following place names next to the corresponding numbers:
9: Fort Boise
10: Whitman
Mission
11: Vancouver
12: Sacramento
13: Bent’s Fort
14: Santa Fe
15: Los Angeles

49. Routes to the West
Trace the Santa Fe Trail by connecting the 16’s between Independence and Santa Fe. Print Santa Fe Trail next to it.

50. Routes to the West
Connect the 17’s between Santa Fe and Los Angeles, and label it the Old Spanish Trail

51. Routes to the West
Trace the dotted line which shows the Mormon Trail from Nauvoo to Salt Lake City. Print Mormon Trail next to it. Label the Great Salt Lake
GREAT SALT LAKE

52. Routes to the West
Trace the Oregon Trail by connecting the number 18’s between Independence and Vancouver. Print Oregon Trail next to it. Print Willamette Valley just below Vancouver. Label the South Pass between Independence Rock and Fort Bridger
Willamette Valley
South Pass

53. Routes to the West
Connect the 19’s, and label the California Trail. Print Donner Pass northeast of Sacramento. Print Sacramento Valley south of Sacramento.
Sacramento Valley

54. Routes to the West
Label the Rocky Mountains (from Texas to Oregon) and the Sierra Nevada Mountains (northeast of Sacramento).
Rocky Mountains
Sierra Nevada

55. Routes to the West Color/ lightly shade the map:
Blue: Great Lakes, Rio Grande, Pacific Coast, Atlantic Coast, & Gulf of Mexico Coast
Atlantic
Pacific
Gulf of Mexico

56. Routes to the West Color / lightly shade the map:
Anything but blue: Mexico & Canadian borders
Canada
Mexico

57. Routes to the West Color / lightly shade the map:
Anything but colors already used: The United States