Grade 4: History_Statehood_Ch6 Flashcards
When, Where and Who discovered gold
Gold was discovered by James Marshall and workers building a sawmill at Coloma on the banks of American River in January 24, 1848
- James Marshall
- Coloma, California
- January 24, 1848
what are the Main Routes to California during the Gold Rush
There were 3 Main Routes…
- Isthmus of Panama: narrow piece of land that connected North America and South America. In the hot climate, many people died from diseases.
- Ship around the tip of South America. Which was the longest route that took 3 to 8 months.
- By land, crossing the North American deserts and mountain ranges. People faced accidents, illness and lack of food and water.
What does it mean to “Stake a Claim” ?
an area a miner said belonged to them.
to mark a claim, a miner put a wooden stake or post around it.
this was called ‘staking a claim’
Did Miners really get rich quick?
no because it would take many months to try to find gold. some would be lucky and find gold, but some would not find gold at all.
What were some major effects of the Godl Rush (on California and San Francisco)?
in California, the population grew rapidly and became more diverse.
San Francisco changed from a town of 800 people to a city of 35,000. Sacramento , Stockton & Marysville grew quickly because ferries/riverboats made trips up/down the Sacramento River.
Towns that had Mining Camps now have banks, food stores and doctors office. Many miners gave up mining and became merchants and shopkeepers and farmers
Entrepreneur
a person who sets up a new business
Inflation
a sharp increas in prices
Discrimination
unfair treatment of people because of their religion, their race, or their birthplace.
Vigilante
person who takes the law into their own hands
What opportunities did women and African-Americans have in California
the right to own property
What were some methods of mining for gold
- miners dug with shovels and picks, then used metal pans to search for gold by scooping river water, sand & gravel and swirl the water around. this made heavy bits sink to the bottom.
- used a tool called a cradle. the cradle had two trays, one above the other. miners would fill top tray with sand, soil, gravel. they would pour water over it and then rocked the cradle. Large pieces would be trapped at the top tray and rest would flow through the opening to the bottom tray
What happened at the Monterey Convention?
What decisions were made?
General Bennet Riley decided to call a convention in Monterey in decide the future for California.
there were 48 Delegates that quickly decided that
- California should become a State.
- which land area would become California. (Sierra Nevada & California River marked the Eastern Boundary; Oregon Territory marked the Northern Boundary)
- California became a ‘Free’ State (not a ‘Slave’ State - the right to own slaves)
- creation of State Public School System
When did California officially become a state?
California became a state on September 9, 1850
Did miners pay taxes? Why or Why not?
Miners did not pay taxes because they did not own land to pay property taxes
What was the Land Act of 1851
What did it do to ranchos in California
A Law that said the Rancheros (ranch owners) had to prove that the land belonged to them.
Many ranchos were broken up, because rancheros had sell their land to pay their bills and lawyers to prove that they owned the land.
