NEW SETTLERS- CALIFORNIA & UTAH

Ch. 12 Section 4

TERMS Forty-niners: people who went to

California during the gold rush of 1849 Boomtowns: a community

experiencing a sudden growth in business or population

Vigilantes: people who take the law into their own hands

Mormon: member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints

CALFORNIA GOLD RUSH

1. More 80,000 went to California in 1849 looking for gold.

2. How did gold seekers arrive to California?

Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail-Sierra Nevada Mts., sea routes

3. 80% of forty-niners were American. Where did the rest come from?

Mexico, South America, Europe, Australia

THE CALIFORNIOS

4. What is a Californio? Mexicans living in California who became

American citizens after the Mex-American war

5. What happened to Californios land claims? Land law of 1851- sets up review board

for land rights Californios have to prove what land they

own New settlers who claim land would take

Californios to court, Californios often lose

LIFE IN CALIFORNIA

6. What did the gold rush do to the world’s gold supply? Doubled it

7. Describe how the gold rush affected forty-niners.

Very few achieve lasting wealth, those who did often squandered it through gambling or wild spending

8. Who was Levi Strauss? How did he benefit from the gold rush?

Jewish immigrant who sells miners sturdy denim pants

9. Why were merchants like able to make huge profits in boomtowns?

Miners have no place else to go to buy- food and other essentials sky rocket in price

Eggs: $10/dozen10. Why were mining camps and towns so dangerous Absence of women- men spend time drinking,

gambling, and fighting No police or prisons11. List four ways that the Gold Rush affected

California. Improvements in shipping, agriculture, trade, Population boom (20,000-220,000 in only four

years) 1848-1852, California statehood 1850

A RELIGIOUS REFUGE IN UTAH

12. Why did Joseph Smith move westward? Formed a new Christian church that

was disapproved of in East (NY)13. How were the Mormons under Brigham

Young able to make their community in the Great Salt Lake region flourish?

12,000 Mormons make pilgrimage Build irrigation canals to water farms Founded industries to be self-sufficient Sell supplies to 49ers