jjares reviewed The California Gold Rush: The History and Legacy of the Forty-Niners and America's Golden Dream on + 3270 more book reviews
More than 300,000 came to California for the gold rush, from as far as Asia. At the time, the first people who went to California were called Argonauts, referring to the old Greek myth about Jason and the Argonauts, and the fact that most people sailed to California instead of coming across the land.
Amazingly, the people most responsible for the discovery of gold were the ones hardest hit by the discovery. Sutter never built his sawmill. The truth is that the people in California of 1848 were the ones who built the infrastructure (from literally scratch) so that the people behind them would be supported by the people who created the towns, stores, banks, land speculators, etc.
There's a fascinating little factoid about why the Chinese opened laundries (instead of other businesses). The most interesting aspect of this book was the discussion of the ratio of Native Americans vs. Americans in California at the beginning of the Gold Rush (35:1) and how the rapid influx of different ethnic groups affected the foods eaten, plus a whole host of other rapid changes amongst the new arrivals.
The rapid changes in California caused great stress amongst the Californios (landed Mexicans who'd lived in California for generations) and amongst the Franciscans who had controlled the region through the Catholic Church. Then the Native Americans were removed from the area, which improved conditions for the miners (more land was available).
While controlling non-white populations in California, some of the great entrepreneurs of America started businesses that still stand today: Ghirardelli Chocolates, Studebaker started making wheelbarrows for miners, etc. Most of the people who became millionaires did so by selling products to the miners, not through mining itself. Levi Strauss made his fortune selling denim overalls to miners. This is a very interesting analysis of the Gold Rush and its effects on California and the world.
Amazingly, the people most responsible for the discovery of gold were the ones hardest hit by the discovery. Sutter never built his sawmill. The truth is that the people in California of 1848 were the ones who built the infrastructure (from literally scratch) so that the people behind them would be supported by the people who created the towns, stores, banks, land speculators, etc.
There's a fascinating little factoid about why the Chinese opened laundries (instead of other businesses). The most interesting aspect of this book was the discussion of the ratio of Native Americans vs. Americans in California at the beginning of the Gold Rush (35:1) and how the rapid influx of different ethnic groups affected the foods eaten, plus a whole host of other rapid changes amongst the new arrivals.
The rapid changes in California caused great stress amongst the Californios (landed Mexicans who'd lived in California for generations) and amongst the Franciscans who had controlled the region through the Catholic Church. Then the Native Americans were removed from the area, which improved conditions for the miners (more land was available).
While controlling non-white populations in California, some of the great entrepreneurs of America started businesses that still stand today: Ghirardelli Chocolates, Studebaker started making wheelbarrows for miners, etc. Most of the people who became millionaires did so by selling products to the miners, not through mining itself. Levi Strauss made his fortune selling denim overalls to miners. This is a very interesting analysis of the Gold Rush and its effects on California and the world.
