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

2. 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

3. California Migration Trade Routes

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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.

11. Manifest Destiny- by Thomas Gast