The California Gold Rush
By Derrick Allenbrand
Table of Contents
Section Title
Page Number
Chapter 1: Westward Expansion
2
Chapter 2:The California Gold Rush
5
Chapter 3: Theme
7
Glossary
8
Bibliography
8
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Chapter 1: Westward Expansion
The Louisiana Purchase In the year of 1803, the president of the time, which was Thomas Jefferson, made a purchase from France. This purchase went under the name of the Louisiana Purchase. This doubled the size of our country so we could have more land and space. And, it doubled the country by adding 828,000 square miles!This purchase was fifteen- million dollars! This territory was unknown and West of the Mississippi River. This is where two famous explorers come in.
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Lewis and Clark After the Louisiana Purchase, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were sent by Thomas Jefferson to explore the West. This expedition started on May 14, 1804. They traveled by boat, which they had 3, for 40 men. Their goal was to finally reach the Pacific Ocean. On this expedition, they traveled 7,000 miles! The Native American woman known as Sacajawea joined the group as an interpreter . They followed the Missouri River going West. Along the way they met friendly Native Americans. And finally, they kept journals holding sketches and maps that encouraged the people of America move out West .
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Westward Expansion Westward Expansion started in 1840. People moved West to have a new life. They could move for free land to farm or even get gold. Some moved for religious freedom. People traveled in wagon trains and not many people survived the trip. There were 44 states in this Westward time. They took the Oregon Trail, California Trail, or Santa Fe Trail. People started calling Missouri “The gateway to the West.” This westward movement made a good change in the U.S.A.
Chapter 2 Introduction It was a cool morning as some men, including James Marshall, were building a sawmill called Sutter’s Mill. Marshall was going to work one day and caught a glimpse of a shiny yellow metal in the stream. He walked across the vast prairie to get a good look at it. He picked it up and realized it was gold! They proved it was god by putting it in a chemical and it didn’t break! This discovery happened January 24, 1848. Soon, millions of people were coming to California. They had traveled by boat and wagon. The California Gold Rush had begun.
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Chapter 2:The California Gold Rush The gold Rush
This gold rush of many greedy people changed the people thought about a gold rush. A gold rush is when gold is discovered and people go looking for it. The location of the California Gold Rush was near the city of Coloma and the population was about 10,000. The California Gold Rush contained about 20 billion ounces of gold. To get any of that miners needed tools such as a pickaxe, shovel, hoe , rifle, and a pan. They also needed food such as bacon, sugar, and beans. People had really wanted to be rich so they became one of the greedy people wanting gold. All the endless hunting for gold finally stopped in the 1850’s. But the question remains-how did they get the gold?
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Getting gold I you want to know what the California Gold Rush your going to need to know how they got the gold. When miners mined, lucky ones would get about 300$ a day. However, on average, they got about 30$ a day. Even though they got 30 a day, a meal was about 20. The simple method miners used was panning, yet in 1852 not many people panned, instead they dug around in the mountains, hoping for gold. To get gold you usually needed a pan, a shovel, and a pickaxe. People sometimes even tricked Native Americans that worked in gold fields for their gold. Around 1850 was the end of the California Gold Rush.
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Chapter 3:Theme
After the California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush had a huge impact on the United States when gold was discovered and the word got out. So much westward movement changed a lot in the United States, like people moving West for a better life. Also, because of this, California population spiked like crazy. California was such a popular state even after the gold rush ended. This caused California. And, out all this, there is one point.
All one point A lesson the California Gold Rush taught us was being greedy was not an option because it can lead to bad things. People in the California Gold Rush stole, and might have even killed to get others gold. After the California gold rush was over, sadly, there were more gold rushes, but the one true thing the California gold rush taught us was that even when your really greedy, you shouldn’t do bad things. 7
Glossary Containedthe being of something being in something Native American An Indian of the current time Expeditiona long journey Westward expansionthe being of moving west interpreter a helpful guide Bibliography Ducksters. “Westward expansion.”2016.Online.1/8/2016.WWW.Ducksters.com Eyewittnesshistory. The California Gold Rush 1804.2003.Online.1416 Friedman,Mel.The California Gold Rush.New York:Childrens press,2010 8
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