1. Gold rush and immigration

2. 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”

3. Impacts of immigration: Native Population Plummets
Native American population went from an estimated 150,000 in 1848 to 30, 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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”