THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH OF 1849
The Gold Runs Out
The accounts of economic prosperity during the California Gold Rush are numerous, but tales of 49ers who wound up economically broken are far more realistic. By 1850 the
once plentiful gold was running out as more and more people came to California in search of it. Miners spent ten to twelve hours each day doing backbreaking work with little, if anything, to show for it. Once peaceful, California became a territory full of frustrated, angry, and desperate individuals. Robbery, murder, gambling, jailing, and hanging all became common.
A few lucky strikes in the early 1850's kept the dream of finding gold alive. Many miners stayed in California, continually trying to find their fortune. As the gold ran out, more advanced techniques were used to find it. In the early 1850's miners banded together to help dam rivers and reroute the water. Pretty soon corporations came to the area to search for the gold. With far more technologically advanced methods, big businesses soon forced individual miners either out of work or into service for them.
Many miners simply gave up and went back east. They gave up on the dream and decided the simple farm or village life was better than the desperation they had discovered in California. Others stayed on in California, turning to farming or ranching as a living. This group became the heart of the budding new state, and contributed greatly to the economic, political, and social development of what became one of America's most productive and lucrative territories.
Even after the gold completely ran out, Americans and individuals from all over the world still flocked to California. The business opportunities of the new territory were tremendous. The continuing influx of cultures created a vibrant mix of dynamic and energetic people and in the end the diversity created by the 1849 Gold Rush became one of California's greatest strengths.
The Famous 1848 "Cal" Quarter Eagle
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