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

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

4. 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

5. 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:

6. 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:

7. ‘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:

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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: