Gold fever spread overnight after the discovery of gold in 1848. No matter how far it took to travel to California, people from all over the world came by foot, horseback, ships or wagons to strike it rich. It was greed for gold that led Anglo-American prospectors to drive foreigners from the goldfields. The Foreign Miners’ Tax Law was passed by the California legislature in 1850 which discouraged foreigners from the goldfields by levying high taxes. The rush for gold also caused a hostile takeover of land previously inhabited by Indians and Spanish/Mexican settlers. By 1852, 81 million ounces of gold was discovered. Though many prospectors hoped to strike it rich in California, few actually did. The gold rush brought new inhabitants to California; however for most their dreams were crushed and in the end prospectors became farmers, small businessmen or workers for corporations.
Q1. Consider after the gold rush how California’s environment was impacted. How long after-wards do you think it took for the environment to recover? During its recovery did it have any financial effect on California? Why or why not?
Q2. As an Anglo-American forty-niner explain which hardships would you have found most difficult? How about as a foreigner? Why?
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