1 / 12

Mexican-Amer war

USA gained control of California. Mexican-Amer war. Mexican-American War ended USA had control over Mexican territories in the West—including California. John Sutter. Swiss immigrant Started a colony—Sutter’s Fort Encouraged many American settlers to move West to his colony.

gusty
Download Presentation

Mexican-Amer war

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. USA gained control of California Mexican-Amer war • Mexican-American War ended • USA had control over Mexican territories in the West—including California

  2. John Sutter • Swiss immigrant • Started a colony—Sutter’s Fort • Encouraged many American settlers to move West to his colony

  3. Donner Party Donner Party • Group of western travelers who went to California but were stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during the winter • 42 of 87 died

  4. Gold in California Gold in CA • 1848, Sutter’s carpenter, James Marshall, found a piece of gold by a river near Sutter’s mill. • Sutter’s other workers found out and quit to search for gold. Learn more about the discovery of gold: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbgold.html

  5. Forty-niners in California Forty-niners • Stories spread and, in 1849, about 80,000 gold-seekers came to California looking for gold • These gold-seeking migrants to California were called forty-niners. • Most forty-niners arrived in San Francisco Learn more about the forty-niners: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbforty.html

  6. ‘Gold Fever’ Gold Fever • Many forty-niners did not have mining experience • They would prospect, or search for gold, along the banks of streams or in shallow surface mines • The first person to arrive at a sight would “stake a claim.” Learn more about the mines: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbmines.html

  7. Mining Mining • When one ‘gold digger’ abandoned a claim, other people would take over, hoping for success. • Place miners used pans or other devices to wash gold nuggets out of loose rock and gravel. • $60 million in gold production in 1853

  8. Life in the Mining Camps • Most miners were young, unmarried men • Lots of people, supplies limited, prices rose = inflation • Value of land increased • Loaf of bread might cost $.05 in the east and $.75 in California

  9. Immigrants to California Immigrants to California • Gold attracted immigrants to California from around the world • 24,000 Chinese immigrants—they faced much discrimination, yet continued to work in gold mines • Many immigrants stayed—California is the most populous state today

  10. Impact on California • + Because of the population boom- USA made California the 31st state in 1850 • - Many people discriminated against those who looked different (mainly Californios and California Native Americans), and felt they had no right to have the gold

  11. Economic Growth • + New businesses and industries stimulated the economy • + People found other ways to make a living besides mining--farming and ranching • - Obstacle to growth: California isolated from rest of country • Import/export difficult • + Railroad extended to CA in 1869 to aid import/export Learn more about the economic growth: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cbhtml/cbrush.html

More Related