90 likes | 332 Views
Gold Rush. How did the gold rush affect California? By Karen Garcia. Gold. January 24, 1848 gold was found Gold was found at Sutter’s Mill. Ways to get gold from earth. Panning cradle hydraulic mining – damage to environment. Routes to California. Sea route around Cape Horn - 6-8 months
E N D
Gold Rush How did the gold rush affect California? By Karen Garcia
Gold • January 24, 1848 gold was found • Gold was found at Sutter’s Mill
Ways to get gold from earth • Panning • cradle • hydraulic mining – damage to environment
Routes to California • Sea route around Cape Horn - 6-8 months • Across the Isthmus of Panama – 2-3 months • Overland – 3-5 months
Living conditions in the mining camps • Overcrowding • Food was scarce • Little medicine – many miners died of diseases • Poor sanitation
Supply and Demand • Prices rise when demand is high and supply is low. • Sam Brannon bought every pick axe, pan and shovel in the region. • A pan that had sold for 20 cents was now selling for $15. • A drink of water could go for $100.
Fun Facts • People were stealing gold from the miners. • The Chinese melted their gold and formed it into woks. When is was used to cook, it blackened and no one knew it was a gold pot.
Comprehension questions • Where was gold first found in California? • What is a way to retrieve gold from the earth? • Name one of the routes miners took to get to California. • Describe the living conditions in the mining camps. • What is supply and demand?
Works Cited • Houghton Mifflin textbook • internet