What Is Life Before The California Gold Rush
From January 24, 1848 to about 1851 the California Gold Rush changed California forever. The discovery of gold by James Marshal in a stream near Sutter’s Mill Fort sparked the beginning of this historic event. The results forever changed California. The towns, population, and economic changes before, during, and after the Gold Rush proves the impact of this historical event.
Life before the Gold Rush in California was simple. San Francisco was a small and unused town with very little excitement. It had a population of under 500 settlers, almost no women, and under 2,000 Native Americans. The Native Americans mostly worked as blacksmiths, shipwrights, carpenters, tailors, farmers, miners, and menders. As a result the Native Americans filled in almost all of the major jobs. The total population of California at the …show more content…
The most profitable and dominate profession among settlers was the fur trade. These trappers sought otters and beavers as their primary source of income. They used a basic tanning system to preserve the pelts. Documentation of this time was poor because nothing of importance happened, until “...Captain John Sutter tried [his] best to keep the discovery of gold quiet until the construction of Sutter's mill was completed, well knowing that the workmen would desert their jobs and turn to digging gold. The news leaked out, and the stampede began” (San Francisco Museum).
When gold was discovered in California, the word got out extremely quickly and started the huge rush of people seeking to make their fortune in gold. The San Francisco port was overfilled with abandoned boats, as the owners would desert them to go mine. San Francisco itself moved up to over 25,000 people. The California population skyrocketed to over 150,000, while the Native American population dropped to
Life before the Gold Rush in California was simple. San Francisco was a small and unused town with very little excitement. It had a population of under 500 settlers, almost no women, and under 2,000 Native Americans. The Native Americans mostly worked as blacksmiths, shipwrights, carpenters, tailors, farmers, miners, and menders. As a result the Native Americans filled in almost all of the major jobs. The total population of California at the …show more content…
The most profitable and dominate profession among settlers was the fur trade. These trappers sought otters and beavers as their primary source of income. They used a basic tanning system to preserve the pelts. Documentation of this time was poor because nothing of importance happened, until “...Captain John Sutter tried [his] best to keep the discovery of gold quiet until the construction of Sutter's mill was completed, well knowing that the workmen would desert their jobs and turn to digging gold. The news leaked out, and the stampede began” (San Francisco Museum).
When gold was discovered in California, the word got out extremely quickly and started the huge rush of people seeking to make their fortune in gold. The San Francisco port was overfilled with abandoned boats, as the owners would desert them to go mine. San Francisco itself moved up to over 25,000 people. The California population skyrocketed to over 150,000, while the Native American population dropped to