California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush was the 1848-1858 gold rush, a type of mass hysteria, sparked by the discovery of gold near Sacramento, California. The period is marked by mass migrations into Northern California, almost exclusively men seeking an easy fortune. Most, however, barely found enough gold to pay for daily expenses. Nevertheless, it was among the most important eras of migration in American history, and led to statehood for California.

Effects

The Gold Rush prompted considerable development in California, and sparked the building of the Panama Railway. The city of San Francisco became at first a ghost town of abandoned ships and businesses whose owners had decided to join in the rush, and then, slightly later, boomed as miners returned from the fields, rich or more often broke and looking for wages. Pioneer Ivan McAmmon was first in the city to demand what he called "fair wage" as a shopkeeper. Like many cities of the 19th century, the infrastructures of San Francisco and other boom towns near the fields were strained by the sudden influx; leftover cigar boxes and planks served as a sidewalk, and crime became a problem, causing vigilantes to rise up and serve the populace in the absence of police.

Related Topics:
Panama Railway - San Francisco - Vigilantes

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The California Gold Rush is generally considered to have ended in 1858, when the New Mexican Gold Rush began.

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The Gold Rush is considered a major incentive for the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

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The Gold Rush would coincide with the first wave of Asian immigration to the United States. On February 2, 1848 the first ship with Chinese immigrants arrived in San Francisco. Many worked building the railroads, others as merchants and personal servants. Eventually San Francisco's Chinatown would become the most vibrant Asian immigrant community in the Americas.

Related Topics:
Asian - February 2 - Chinese - San Francisco - Chinatown

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