The real chance for success in the Gold Rush was not in mining the gold but mining the miners. WHO were THE people who had the foresight to see the economic possibilities the Gold Rush would create?

During the Gold Rush, Samuel Brannan gained a large amount of money through mining the miners’. The miners would spend much of their money and gold for useful mining tools and goods at Samuel’s store. His store was located just in between San Francisco and the gold fields. This is how Samuel became extremely rich without ever having to set a foot in the gold mines. Samuel became California’s first millionaire as a result of all the miner’s purchases at his flourishing store.
At first, Samuel Brannan began as a Mormon who was looking for a place in California to settle and came in a boat during 1846 with 238 other Mormons hoping to create a Mormon empire without Americans interfering. Instead of running to the fields like many men did, he created a store near Sutter’s Mill and soon realized that his shop would be his way of becoming rich. After realizing that his store would eventually bring in a large income, he began to stock up on all kinds of mining and living necessities such as pans and pick axes. Samuel did not have the want to go and mine in the fields, but he did try to collect every pickaxe, shovel, and pan in all of California which led him to becoming the first millionaire in all of California. By the time that there were miners coming in from all different directions, Samuel had created a large and profitable store.
Around that time, Samuel Brannan was the well-known man for running up and down the streets in San Francisco shouting “Gold, Gold, Gold from the American River!” This statement caused people to become crazy with gold fever after hearing and seeing a regular man become rich in a matter of a day. People from all over the city began to rush to the gold fields in search of gold and striking it rich. Soon after, mining tools and prices when tremendously upward which just so happened to help Samuel even more.
Some say Samuel was a greedy scoundrel while others say that he was just a man with big dreams who became wealthy. Most people really do not think just one or the other but a combination of both. Samuel was a man with big dreams, a crook of the Mormon Church, a greedy money maker, and a person who just became really rich.
At the time, Samuel was associated with Brigham Young through the Mormon Church and used his power in the church to accumulate more money through tithes. He began setting tithes on any miners that followed Young saying they would go to the Mormon Church. The miners did not see that Samuel was not giving the money to the church, but he kept it all for himself. Brigham Young heard that Samuel was making lots of money and collecting tithes for the Mormon Church but was only disappointed to find that Samuel was not only tricking the miners into giving money but was also not giving the rightful money back to the church.
In the end, Samuel Brannan ended up a broke man with horrible drinking habits, some bad business decisions, and a bad marriage being the causes. A forgotten man left behind all his dreams and the big hopes of building a Mormon kingdom. By the time he was about to die, Samuel was brought to the point of sleeping in the back of saloons. In May of 1889, Samuel Brannan, the first millionaire died on a small fruit tree farm only leaving a couple dollars to his own children. The one who had made millions by mining the miners was a broke man who ended up dying alone.
At first, Samuel Brannan began as a Mormon who was looking for a place in California to settle and came in a boat during 1846 with 238 other Mormons hoping to create a Mormon empire without Americans interfering. Instead of running to the fields like many men did, he created a store near Sutter’s Mill and soon realized that his shop would be his way of becoming rich. After realizing that his store would eventually bring in a large income, he began to stock up on all kinds of mining and living necessities such as pans and pick axes. Samuel did not have the want to go and mine in the fields, but he did try to collect every pickaxe, shovel, and pan in all of California which led him to becoming the first millionaire in all of California. By the time that there were miners coming in from all different directions, Samuel had created a large and profitable store.
Around that time, Samuel Brannan was the well-known man for running up and down the streets in San Francisco shouting “Gold, Gold, Gold from the American River!” This statement caused people to become crazy with gold fever after hearing and seeing a regular man become rich in a matter of a day. People from all over the city began to rush to the gold fields in search of gold and striking it rich. Soon after, mining tools and prices when tremendously upward which just so happened to help Samuel even more.
Some say Samuel was a greedy scoundrel while others say that he was just a man with big dreams who became wealthy. Most people really do not think just one or the other but a combination of both. Samuel was a man with big dreams, a crook of the Mormon Church, a greedy money maker, and a person who just became really rich.
At the time, Samuel was associated with Brigham Young through the Mormon Church and used his power in the church to accumulate more money through tithes. He began setting tithes on any miners that followed Young saying they would go to the Mormon Church. The miners did not see that Samuel was not giving the money to the church, but he kept it all for himself. Brigham Young heard that Samuel was making lots of money and collecting tithes for the Mormon Church but was only disappointed to find that Samuel was not only tricking the miners into giving money but was also not giving the rightful money back to the church.
In the end, Samuel Brannan ended up a broke man with horrible drinking habits, some bad business decisions, and a bad marriage being the causes. A forgotten man left behind all his dreams and the big hopes of building a Mormon kingdom. By the time he was about to die, Samuel was brought to the point of sleeping in the back of saloons. In May of 1889, Samuel Brannan, the first millionaire died on a small fruit tree farm only leaving a couple dollars to his own children. The one who had made millions by mining the miners was a broke man who ended up dying alone.
Mary Grace B.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Brannan
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldrush/peopleevents/p_brannan.html
http://www.calgoldrush.com/profiles/pro_brannan.html
http://www.sierrafoothillmagazine.com/brannan.html
http://www.historynet.com/latter-day-scoundrel-sam-brannan.htm
www.images.google.com
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Brannan
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldrush/peopleevents/p_brannan.html
http://www.calgoldrush.com/profiles/pro_brannan.html
http://www.sierrafoothillmagazine.com/brannan.html
http://www.historynet.com/latter-day-scoundrel-sam-brannan.htm
www.images.google.com