Introduction
The California Gold Rush of the late 1840s drew thousands of people to America's west coast. Traditionally, historians of the gold rush have focused their attention on 1849 -- the year most Anglo-Americans arrived from the east coast. Yet, there were many people already living in California. Indians, Californios, Sonorans, Chileans, Peruvians, and Hawaiians had been in the area for some time. And of course they were intersted in the gold too! What would happen as the newcomers from the east met the old timers from the west? And, how would the gold fit into the story?
Assignment
You are to evaluate the significance of the discovery of gold in California during the mid 19th century. Who came to the region with dreams of getting rich? What did those who inhabited the area think about the forty-niners? Describe the racial tensions that resulted from the gold rush. What were the lasting effects of the California Gold Rush?
Primary Sources
• William Swain Letter - Written from "The Diggings" in California; http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/three/swain2.htm
• The excitement and enthusiasm of Gold Washing still continues—increases. California Star Saturday, June 10, 1848; http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist6/star.html
• Illustration title; Chinese gold mining in California; http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/hb9s20070w/?docId=hb9s20070w&layout=printable-details
Secondary Sources
• Reconstructing Race – pages 3-4, by Elliot West; http://www.studythepast.com/his378/reconstructingrace_elliottwest.pdf
• The Chinese In California
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award99/cubhtml/cichome.html
• The Gold Rushes of North America (1847-1900) - Part II. California; A Calliope Fact Sheet
Copyright Calliope Film Resources, Inc. http://www.calliope.org/gold/gold2.html • The Gold Rush, California Transformed Chapter 6.3.2; http://www.californiahistory.net/text_only/6_3_2.htm#GAM
• The Gold Rush, California Transformed Chapter 6.3.1; http://www.californiahistory.net/text_only/6_3_1.htm#EPI
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