Americans Rush West

In the late 1840s, thousands of Americans headed west,

including the Mormons who went to Utah and the forty-niners who

headed to California.

Mormons Settle in Utah

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, founded by Joseph Smith

Smith and his followers moved west to Illinois

In a clash with neighbors, Smith was killed Brigham Young, the new leader, decided

to go to Utah so the Mormons could be safe from persecution

A Difficult Journey

15,000 people made the journey

Survived harsh desert climate

Founded Salt Lake City

Mormon handcart. http://cyberkids.ccsd.k12.wy.us/4-J/wyo_history/Traveling_trails/travel.html

The California Gold Rush

While the Mormons were moving to Utah, thousands of other

Americans raced further west to California….

1848, Gold discovered at Sutter’s Mill

John Sutter was having a mill built north of Sacramento, California.

He hired John Marshall to supervise the work…

Early in the morning after this took place, Mr. Marshall was walking along the left Bank of the stream when he perceived something which he at first took for a piece of opal, a dark transparent stone, very common here – glittering on one of the spots laid bare by the suddenly crumbling away of the bank. He paid no attention to this, but while he was giving directions to the workmen, having observed several similar glittering fragments, his curiosity was so far excited, that he stooped down and picked one of them up. 'Do you know,' said Mr. Marshall to me, 'I positively debated within myself two or three times whether I should take the trouble to bend my back to pick up one of the pieces and had decided on not doing so when farther on, another glittering morsel caught my eye – the largest of the pieces now before you.’

-Capt. Sutter’s account

John Marshall at Sutter’s mill

http://www.books-about-california.com/Images/California_Romantic/Sutter's_Mill.jpg

The Gold Rush was on!

More than 80,000 people moved to California in 1849

Became known as the ’49ers People came from Europe, China,

Australia, and South America. Even women became prospectors.

http://www.library.ca.gov/goldrush/images

http://www.calgoldrush.com/

Crime and Punishment

The Chinese

By 1880, they constituted 22% of California's mining population, making them the largest single nationality engaged in mining.

Faced enormous prejudice. Very industrious. Offered a wide

range of services such as laundries, garden fresh vegetables, firewood and domestic services.

Nevada City had many fires over the years and the Chinese Quarter was no exception. When a major fire in June of 1880 devastated the Chinese Quarter, Nevada City passed an ordinance stating "all Chinese shall be removed from Nevada City within sixty days."

http://www.historichwy49.com/ethnic/chinese.html

Nearly $2,000,000,000 in gold was taken from the earth before mining became dormant.

What a great misfortune was this sudden gold discovery for me! It has just broken up and ruined my hard, restless, and industrious labors, connected with many dangers of life, as I had many narrow escapes before I became properly established. From my mill buildings I reaped no benefit whatever, the mill stones even have been stolen and sold. By this sudden discovery of the gold, all my great plans were destroyed.

- Gen. John A. Sutter, November 1857