The Oregon-California Gold Rush
Word eventually got out. On Friday May 12 Sam Brannan brought proof of gold to San Francisco
where he shouted Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River! (60). His motivation for sharing the
news was that he wanted to sell equipment to those who wanted to go on the hunt for gold. Shortly
after this, four thousand people were out looking for gold. Thus, many stores were empty and
newspapers were forced to shut down. The hunt for gold was thought to be a fever Among those who
flocked to the gold were soldiers who abandoned their posts in pursuit of wealth. (61). They were only
making a mere six dollars while some of the gold miners were making over seventy. One soldier even
stated, I had a violent attack of gold fever. (61). The thought of ... Show more content on
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The journey to California was extremely difficult. The prices were extraordinary with some boat
tickets costing up to $450. There were also many trails traversed in a manner that lacked hygiene.
Thus, many either faced adversary or simply did not make it. Those who did not make it were most
likely harmed by the poor conditions or disease such as cholera along the Overland Trail in 1849. Out
of all the trails, the Oregon California Trial still proved the most popular overland route (66). It was
estimated that over 100,000 travelers had used said trail by 1851. With the news of gold spreading,
many young Asians left to pursue gold. Manny Europeans also made their journey to California.
Between the years of 1847 and 1851, Irish immigration more than doubled. California quickly became
a melting pot of many races including: blacks, Hawaiians, Peruvians, Germans, Mexicans, and the
Chinese. Due to the many races represented in California, there were also many languages and
cultures. On February 2, 1848, in a 15 million dollar cash deal, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was
signed which added the land that Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and California
occupy to the United States. The expansion in land lead to expansion in other ways as well. In 1851, a
survey showed 537 liquor stores, 46 gambling houses, and 48 houses of prostitution (69). One can
clearly see there was a lot of money to be made. With so much money on the line, people found ways
to maximize their profits. With the same spirit, the Anglos forced many people from the mines with
violent threats. They would then tax those who remained. This tax was in the form of a sixteen dollar a
month foreign miner s tax. In an effort to make even more money, ...the California legislature enacted
another foreign miner s tax aimed specifically at the Chinese... (70).
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