The California Gold Rush of 1849 Flashcards
(10 cards)
in April 1849 how many people left the East to move to California
100,000
between 1836 and 1846 the total number of migrants using the trail were _______. From 1849, ___ __ _______ used the Trail in hope of finding gold
5000
tens of thousands
thousands of people cam by ship, from all over the world to ___ _________. Name a large international migrant population that came and when
- San Francisco
- 1852 : famine in China** led to 20,000 Chinese people migrating to California
were many succesfull
most migrant did not find gold - went home or settled in California, those that stayed become farmers
California’s population reached ______ by ____
300,000 by 1855
California’s population boomed ad economy grew rapidly, why?
- prospectors needed equipment, food, entertainment –> attracted more people to the West to become shopkeepers, bartenders, traders
what were the positive consequences of the Gold Rush on the West
- promoted the image of the West as the place where individuals could make a success of their lives, get new start, free + independent. (American Dream)
- Farming boom - California’s excellent farmland meant it was soon exporting food products all over the world
- Gold from Cali boost US economy - helps fund the First Transcontinental Railroad, 1869
what were the negative effects of the Gold Rush
- rapid growth of mining towns led to Lawlessness
- Racial tensions between American settlers and foreigners
- **Genocide* of Californian Indians by migrants , were murdered or enslaved
what was the Manifest Destiny
the belief that White Americans had the right to populate all areas of America
- mission by God to civilise America
what was the consequence of the Manifest Destiny
- huge pull factor
- increase confidence for migration + settlement
- promoted by government
