Gold Rush Challenges

Imagine getting news that gold was found in California and you left your job and family to find gold. The California Gold Rush was a difficult time for many individuals. Some challenges individuals faced during the California Gold Rush were getting to California, finding the gold, and unfair merchants. One challenge individuals faced during the California Gold Rush was being able to get to California. “A miner’s log for November 29, 1849, reports: ‘The ground is so soft that it mires teams so deep it is impossible to get them out, and they had to be left to die or to be shot.’”(J.S., 15) This was difficult for individuals because they had to leave animals behind or kill them so they would be able to pass through that city. In other cities, it was muddy and it was almost impassable for the individuals. Many of the individuals had to leave supplies they needed in California behind so it would be easier for them to get through the mud.
Merchants started making the prices on supplies the ‘49ers needed more expensive. It was unfair for the people that needed to buy something even though they weren’t one of the ‘49ers. “Merchants changed higher prices for supplies as people began to stream into California.”(Mcgill, 12) As more people came to California, the higher the prices got and the less money the ‘49ers had to purchase their needs. Also, merchants redrew the California map so they would get more money from the ‘49ers. The ‘49ers would have been paying people they shouldn’t have because they redrew the map. Overall, ‘49ers had it rough during the California Gold Rush. Getting to California, fining the gold, and unfair merchants were some challenges for individuals during the California Gold Rush. No matter if you were a ‘49er or if you were just a citizen of California, the Gold Rush was a challenging time in history. Now imagine what it would be like living in California during the Gold