A. Gold is Discovered

A. Found by John Marshall at Sutter’s Mill in 1848

B. Mining Methods

1. 1. Placer Mining:Placer Mining: The most The most popular; Ran water over dirt to popular; Ran water over dirt to uncover the heavier gold.uncover the heavier gold.

2. Panning2. Panning

This was a cheap This was a cheap & simple method & simple method that required few that required few tools. Performed tools. Performed alone or in small alone or in small groupsgroups

Feeling Lucky?

C. The 49ers

1. Over 80,000 gold-seekers in 1849.

2. 95% of prospectors were unmarried men.

3. Most went home with little or nothing.

D. Mining Towns

Crime & violence were very common.

III. Effects of the Gold Rush

A. New Businesses

1. Mining towns attracted people selling goods & services to miners. 2. Denim was used for tough work clothes.

Levi Strauss

B. Opportunities for Women

To make money women, cooked, cleaned & opened boardinghouses for miners.

C. Immigrants1. 24,000 Chinese migrated to CA

– Suffered from:

DiscriminationViolence

2. Gold-seekers 2. Gold-seekers also came from also came from Europe, Mexico & Europe, Mexico & South America.South America.

D. Changes In California

• Grew rapidly

• Become a state in only 2 yrs.

•Both farming & Both farming & industry grew.industry grew.•Gold resulted in Gold resulted in higher prices - higher prices - inflationinflation..

1. Population

2. Economy 2. Economy