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San Franciscos Role in the California Gold RushBy Art Gib San Francisco played an important role in the Californian Gold rush when it started in 1848 and throughout the whole ordeal. The Gold Rush started in a place called Sutter's Mill on January 24 in 1848. A man named James W. Marshall, who was working for a pioneer named John Sutter, found pieces of a shiny metal that would later be identified as gold. He found these first traces of gold in a tailrace of a lumber mill that Marshall was building for Sutter that was positioned along the American River. He took these pieces to Sutter and they tested them immediately. Sutter was actually unhappy about the finding because he was worried that his plans for an agricultural empire would be disrupted if there were to be a large search for gold. Rumors spread, however, and were confirmed in March of 1848 by a publisher and merchant working for the San Francisco newspaper. This publisher's name was Samuel Brannan. One of the most famous quotes from this time was given by Brannan as he walked through the streets of San Francisco with a vial of gold telling the people of the findings. With the spreading of this news, many new families made their way to California to try to strike it rich. After the New York Herald reported that there was a gold rush in California, waves of immigrants began making their way to the west coast. These immigrants would soon come to be known as the 'forty-niners.' At this time, Sutter knew it would be as he feared. All of this man's workers left in search of gold and new immigrants invaded his lands. San Francisco had been a tiny settlement up until this time. In fact, when the first news came of the gold rush, San Francisco became a ghost town as people went in search of the gold. However, it came back to life quickly as merchants and new people arrived in this area with an explosion. The San Franciscan population went from one thousand people in 1848 to over twenty-five thousand by 1850. Unfortunately, this incredible influx of people threatened San Francisco's infrastructure at first. San Francisco and the other towns around the gold fields became a flood of newcomers. People lived however they could. Some lived in tents and cabins while others took over abandoned ships and other abandoned buildings. The promise of amazing riches enticed people to the San Francisco area. California was given statehood not long after this flood of people. Around 1851, there were tons of entrepreneurs in San Francisco looking for capital gain that was generated from this gold rush. Since this time, San Francisco has been booming. About the author For information about San Francisco real estate visit the experts at San Francisco Home Solutions (http://www.sanfranciscohomesolutions.com). Art Gib is a freelance writer. |
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