8Th - Notes: Chapter 11.4 I

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. .

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