how does california's rich cultural and racial diversity originate in the gold rush?
how did ethnic and class warfare determine who would control the riches?
During the Gold Rush, immigrants and natives were treated differently when gold was prosperous versus when people were going bankrupt. Indians and Californios were pushed off their lands, and people of different ethnic groups were mistreated at mining sites. The first people to come to California came in 1769. They were Spanish missionaries who came to try to convert Native Americans to Catholicism. Then, Mexican settlers called Californios, settled in California. In 1846 the population of California consisted of 700 Americans, 6,900 Californios, and 300,000 Native Americans. Sam Brannan and 238 other Mormons arrived at Yerba Buena on July 31, 1846. Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco and had 800 inhabitants in 1847.
In 1848 gold was found in California, and the U.S signed a treaty with Mexico that gave us California and Texas. When the news of gold spread, everyone, even people from other countries, came to try their luck at the gold mines. At first, everyone at the mining sites treated each other as equals because there wasn’t much competition and there was so much gold to go around. But as more miners came in, the amount of gold being found decreased, and all the foreign miners began to get pushed off their mining spots. Foreign miners were being threatened to get out of their claims and had to pay taxes on the gold they found.
The Indians and Californios were mistreated during the Gold Rush. In the first year, Native Americans made up more than half of the mining population and were being abused by the whites. Californios and Indians were treated the same as the immigrants and were forced off their mining claims, and, even worse, their lands. The Indians suffered greatly during the gold rush because of the violence and diseases that was given to them by whites. 30,000 Native Americans were living in California in 1870, which is considerably less than the 300,000 they started out with. Most of the remaining 30,000 lived on reservations.
Once the Gold Rush ended many people stayed in California instead of heading back to their homelands. By the end of the gold rush, the population of non-native people living in California was 100,000. Because these people stayed in California, they made it rich in ethnicities and cultures. The Gold Rush changed California life forever.
In 1848 gold was found in California, and the U.S signed a treaty with Mexico that gave us California and Texas. When the news of gold spread, everyone, even people from other countries, came to try their luck at the gold mines. At first, everyone at the mining sites treated each other as equals because there wasn’t much competition and there was so much gold to go around. But as more miners came in, the amount of gold being found decreased, and all the foreign miners began to get pushed off their mining spots. Foreign miners were being threatened to get out of their claims and had to pay taxes on the gold they found.
The Indians and Californios were mistreated during the Gold Rush. In the first year, Native Americans made up more than half of the mining population and were being abused by the whites. Californios and Indians were treated the same as the immigrants and were forced off their mining claims, and, even worse, their lands. The Indians suffered greatly during the gold rush because of the violence and diseases that was given to them by whites. 30,000 Native Americans were living in California in 1870, which is considerably less than the 300,000 they started out with. Most of the remaining 30,000 lived on reservations.
Once the Gold Rush ended many people stayed in California instead of heading back to their homelands. By the end of the gold rush, the population of non-native people living in California was 100,000. Because these people stayed in California, they made it rich in ethnicities and cultures. The Gold Rush changed California life forever.