8th - Notes: Chapter 11.4 I. California Gold Rush • The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1848, caused a large migration into California in search of riches. • Forty-niners arrived in 1849. • It was reported that farmers threw down their plows, lawyers their briefs, doctors their pills, priests their prayer books headed to California and started digging. o Some arrived by sea, the Oregon Trail, the Santa Fe Trail o People came from Mexico, South America, Europe, Australia and a large group from China. . Around 300 Asian immigrants . Chinese established Chinese American community in California. • Americans made up 80% of the forty-niners.

A. The Californios • The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war with Mexico and made Californios—Mexicans living in California—citizens of the United States. o Treaty guaranteed them rights to own their own land. • Land Law of 1851, established a group of reviewers to exam the Californios’ land rights. • When a new settler claimed land held by a Californio the two parties had to go to court. o Californios had to prove ownership of the land. o Some were able to prove their claims; others lost their cases and their land.

B. The Life of a Forty-Niner • People built new communities. • Towns appeared overnight. o One site on the Yuba River had only two houses, Sept. 1949. o A year later a miner found 1000 people there. . There were large numbers of hotels, stores, groceries, and gambling houses. • Cities flourished during the Gold Rush. o San Francisco became a Boomtown (growing from a tiny village to city of about 20,000 people. • Most forty-niners had no experience in mining. o As each new site was discovered miners would flock to it. . Attacked hillsides with pickaxes and shovels. o Spent hours panning over streambeds, swirling water and gravel in hopes of finding a speck of gold. • California Gold Rush more than doubled the world’s supply of gold. o Few forty-niners achieved lasting wealth. 8th - Notes: Chapter 11.4 o Most found little to no gold. o Many who found gold lost their richest through gambling or wild spending. • Boomtown merchants, made huge profits. o They charged whatever they wanted to for food and other essentials due to no other nearby stores that sold these products. o Merchants invented new products to meet the needs of the miners. . Levi Strauss, a German immigrant, created sturdy pants for miners made of denim. . Known as “Levis” they were “riveted for strength” . Strauss became wealthy due to the popularity of the denim pants.

C. Gold Rush Society • Mining camps contained men of all backgrounds but few women. o Men spend their free hours drinking, gambling, and fighting. • Mining towns had no police. o Vigilantes formed committees to protect themselves. . Took law into their own hands. . Acted like police, judge, jury and sometimes executioner.

D. Economic and Political Progress • Gold Rush had lasting effects on California. o Agriculture, shipping, and trade grew to meet the demand for food & goods. o People who arrived to California looking for gold stayed to farm or run a business. • Rapid growth brought the need for better government. o In 1849, California applied for statehood. . California’s constitution ban on slavery caused a crisis in Congress. o Southern states opposed California’s admission to the Union. o Congress eventually worked out a compromise allowing California to become a free state in 1850.

II. A Religious Refuge in Utah • Change taking place in nearby Utah. o Mormons or members of the Church of Latter-day Saints were building a new community and fulfilling their vision of the godly life.

A. The Mormons Move On • Church of Latter-day Saints was among a number of religious movements. o Sprang up during the religious awakenings of the 1830s and 1840s. • Founder of the Mormon Church was Joseph Smith. o He was a New Englander from western New York 8th - Notes: Chapter 11.4 o He said he received visions that led him to build a new church. o Began preaching Mormon ideas in 1830. o Smith published The Book of Mormon. . It was a translation of words written on golden plates that he received from an angel. . Text told of the coming of Christ and need to build a new kingdom on Earth. o Smith used his vision to create an ideal society. . Believed property should be held in common, not the individuals. o Smith supported polygamy . Man could have more than one wife.  This angered many people, causing the Mormons to give up on this practice. o Smith formed a community in New York . Neighbors disapproved the Mormon religion and forced them out. . Mormons settle in Illinois. . In 1839, bought the town of Commerce, renamed it Nauvoo.  Nauvoo became a prosperous community • Mormons continued to suffer persecution/mistreatment because of their beliefs. o In 1844, mob of local residents killed Joseph Smith. o After Smith’s death, Brigham Young took over as head of the Mormons. • Young decided to move the community to escape persecution and find religious freedom. o Mormons moved west to the Great Salt Lake in present-day Utah. . This area belonged to Mexico, at the time no Mexicans lived in this area because of the harsh terrain.

B. A Haven in the Desert • Mormon migration began in 1846. o 12,000 Mormons made the trek in the largest single migration in American history. o Mormon’s route known as the Mormon Trail. . Trail was a valuable route to the western United States. • In 1847, Mormons reached the Great Salt Lake. o Young declared Mormons build a new settlement there. o Mormons staked claim on the dry, wild land called Deseret. . Soon set up farming communities there. • Life was difficult at first for the settlers. o Mormons made Deseret flourish by hard work and determination.

8th - Notes: Chapter 11.4 o Planned towns, like Salt Lake City . Built irrigation canals for farms . Taxed property and regulated use of water, timber, and other resources. o Mormons founded industries to be self-sufficient. . Mormon merchants sold supplies to forty-niners who passed through. • In 1848, United States acquired the Salt Lake area from Mexico after the Mexican War. o In 1850, Congress established the Utah Territory . Brigham Young was named governor. • By 1860, many Mormon communities had been established. o Utah was not easily incorporated into the United States. . Problems included the Mormon practice of polygamy and frequent conflicts with federal officials. . In 1857 and 1858, war almost broke out between the Mormons and U.S. Army. o Utah did not become a state until 1896, after Mormons officially gave up the practice of polygamy.