Growth of the WestGrowth of the West

14.414.4

California Gold Rush California Gold Rush 1849 - 18531849 - 1853

Gold is discovered near Sutter’s Gold is discovered near Sutter’s Mill in Northern CaliforniaMill in Northern California

100,000 flock out to CA to strike it 100,000 flock out to CA to strike it rich!rich!

Forty-NinersForty-Niners: those who caught : those who caught “gold-fever” “gold-fever”

San Francisco San Francisco became the became the fastest growing fastest growing city in Americacity in America

By 1850, By 1850, California could California could petition for petition for state-hoodstate-hood

Prospecting for GoldProspecting for Gold

Few had Few had experience experience

Few actually got Few actually got richrich

Mining towns Mining towns quickly turned to quickly turned to ghost townsghost towns

Gold Attracted ImmigrantsGold Attracted Immigrants

Over 10,000 entered CA in 1849 Over 10,000 entered CA in 1849 alonealone

Most were Irish, German, SwissMost were Irish, German, Swiss

24,000 Chinese Immigrants in CA 24,000 Chinese Immigrants in CA by 1853.by 1853.

Chinese Immigrants faced Chinese Immigrants faced a lot of Discriminationa lot of Discrimination

Levi StraussLevi Strauss A Jewish-A Jewish-German German Immigrant who Immigrant who founded the 1founded the 1stst company that company that made blue-made blue-jeans for miners jeans for miners in San in San FransiscoFransisco

The Church of Latter-Day SaintsThe Church of Latter-Day Saints

Founded by Founded by Joseph SmithJoseph Smith in in New York in 1830New York in 1830

Believed he had Believed he had found a 5found a 5thth Gospel Gospel to the Bible called to the Bible called the the Book of Book of MormonMormon

MormonsMormonsSome practiced Some practiced PolygamyPolygamy: being : being married to more than one woman.married to more than one woman.

Their beliefs were seen as strange to Their beliefs were seen as strange to most Americansmost Americans– They faced peresecutionThey faced peresecution

Mormons were pushed from place to Mormons were pushed from place to place.place.

War & Assassination force War & Assassination force them Westthem West

1844: Smith was murdered by an 1844: Smith was murdered by an angry mob in Illinoisangry mob in Illinois

Brigham Young led the Mormon Brigham Young led the Mormon Church to their “promised land” in Church to their “promised land” in UtahUtah

They settled near Great Salt LakeThey settled near Great Salt Lake