Gold is one of the most valuable materials all around the world. This jewel has its own glittering appearance and shiny color which induce people to desire to possess it. That’s probably why Europeans in the middle age have explored new continents and invaded other civilizations to find this glittering material. Americans also had given much endeavor to mine that valuable jewel in the time of gold rush. Investigating these events, gold has immensely affected the world history; the Age of Exploration, invasions of Spaniards, and the development of California.
To begin with, Gold was the most significant motivation of ‘the age of exploration’. ‘The age of exploration’ began in the early 15th century and it lasted until the 17th century. The purpose of numerous explorations at that time was to find gold. Since the trades between the West and the East had started, various kinds of merchandise drastically flowed to Europe. Among the eastern products, what Europeans were most interested in was gold. Royal families and nobles were eager to acquire gold to show off their wealth and power. Merchants in Venetia, or other cities also wanted golden products to make big profits in their transactions. Accordingly, they planned to explore the unknown world in purpose of possessing more gold. In addition, the travelers are obliged to search gold in expeditions by the kingdoms. Since Explorers often had a lack of funding needed for their journeys, they should rely on the kingdoms which can afford the expenses. Ships, crews and sailing utilities were provided for the adventures by the nations. In exchange of these supports, kingdoms required the explorers to search the location of the valuable jewels and offer some of them. Hence, travelers were de...
... middle of paper ...
...rom http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/theconquistadors/a/cortesbio.htm
Kennedy, H. (n.d.). Byzantine-Ottoman wars: Fall of Constantinople. Retrieved from http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswars14011600/p/Byzantine-Ottoman-Wars-Fall-Of-Constantinople.htm
Michael, W. (2002). Conquistadors. (p. 288). US and Territories, Canada: University of California Press.
Robert, S. (2002). The Gold Rush of California: A bibliography of periodical articles. (Master's thesis, California State University), Available from California State University, Stanislaus Library. Retrieved from http://ivy.csustan.edu/bsantos/goldrush/GoldTOC.htm
Rawls, James J. and Orsi, Richard J. (eds.) (1999). A Golden State: mining and economic development in Gold Rush California (California History Sesquicentennial Series, 2). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 187.
The Susan Lee Johnson article, “Bulls, Bears, and Dancing Boys: Race, Gender, and Leisure in California Gold Rush,” illustrated how Anglo-men in the mining towns coped without Anglo-women present. The pattern of behavior from men in the Californian Gold Rush is reminiscent of the female gender roles assumed by men in the early establishment of Jamestown, Virginia. Although, factors such as; inadequacy, spare time, and clashing cultural concepts about the womanhood and race in California created more exaggerated distortions to the behavior of Anglo men.
In Salinas Valley around the 1850s, gold was found by a man named James W. Marshall in California. The first people to hear and be familiar with the “Gold Rush” were the people in Oregon, Hawaii, and Latin America who started to flock to the state. Everyone told and the word spread which led around 300,000 people to California from the US. At first, gold was found on the ground and was to be picked up. Later on, gold was discovered from streams and riverbeds.
These two passages “There’s Still Gold in These Hills” and “Letter From a Gold Miner” help the reader understand the history and process of gold mining in the US. Both passages give detailed information, specific instructions, and an interesting background about gold mining. These passages use different strategies to help the reader perceive the history and process. These strategies may include using specific dates of when the gold rush took place, information to help the reader picture the setting of where to find gold, and also teaches the process step by step.
There are many ways in which we can view the history of the American West. One view is the popular story of Cowboys and Indians. It is a grand story filled with adventure, excitement and gold. Another perspective is one of the Native Plains Indians and the rich histories that spanned thousands of years before white discovery and settlement. Elliot West’s book, Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers and the Rush to Colorado, offers a view into both of these worlds. West shows how the histories of both nations intertwine, relate and clash all while dealing with complex geological and environmental challenges. West argues that an understanding of the settling of the Great Plains must come from a deeper understanding, a more thorough knowledge of what came before the white settlers; “I came to believe that the dramatic, amusing, appalling, wondrous, despicable and heroic years of the mid-nineteenth century have to be seen to some degree in the context of the 120 centuries before them” .
In January of 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, which is now in present-day California. From 1848-1849, 300,000 people rushed to California in search of gold. These gold-seekers, nicknamed “Forty-Niners”, came from all over the world. Most of the Forty-Niners came from the rest of America, but some even came from Europe, Australia, Latin America, and Asia. Because of the huge gold rush, roads, churches, schools, canals, cities, and towns were established in the California area. This new economic explosion influenced California to become a state in the Union.
As most folks do, when I think of the term “Gold Rush”, it conjures up images of the West! Images of cowboys and crusty old miners ruthlessly and savagely staking their claims. Immigrants coming by boat, folks on foot, horseback, and covered wagon form all over the US to rape and pillage the land that was newly acquired from Mexico through the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo… California. But let me tell you about a gold rush of another kind, in another place, even more significant. It was the actual first documented discovery of gold in the United States! Fifty years earlier…in North Carolina!
James Marshall discovered gold in the American River in northern California which caused a great migration to California. Due to this discovery, the United States commodity prices increased and raise in commodity prices urged workers to go on strike in order to protect their standard of living. The U.S. provided 45 percent of the world's gold production between 1851 and 1855. Many people benefited from finding gold because the amount of gold that was found will determine how well they succeeded in becoming rich. The Gold Rush led to the exploration of different territories in California, the encountering of gold, and the exchange of different cultural ideas. The exploration of gold in California during the 1800's affected immigration, the exchange of cultural ideas and shaped the social structure during this period also known as the "Gold Rush."
In 1839 a man by the name of John Sutter arrived in California. Sutter appeared to be somewhat of a drifter, and had failed to establish himself before arriving in California. However, in the land of great promise, he planned to establish an empire for himself. Sutter was granted eleven square leagues, or 50, 000 acres, in the lower Sacramento area. This was a common land grant for the times. Sutter got to work and began to improve his land. He went on to build a fort, accumulated over 12,000 cattle and hired hundreds of workers to hel...
Smith-Baranzini, Marlene, Richard J. Orsi, and James J. Rawls. A Golden State: Mining And Economic Development In Gold Rush California. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1999. eBook (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Gold has been valued in our cultural history for as long as societies have been able to adopt this valuable metal’s unique properties. Gold is unique in its inherent marvellous glossy shine. Gold is particularly malleable, conducts electricity, doesn’t blemish and blends well with other metals. Because of these exclusive properties, gold creates its ways in our everyday life in many ways or form. Gold has always had remarkable significance, shown by most civilizations as a symbol of wealth and power. Gold has captivated most of cultures around the world and the passion for it brings to the extermination of some cultures and the growth in condition of others. This essay explores the use of gold over time and perception of the cultures that surround by gold.
The Gold Rush was one of the most influential times in California History. During the four years from 1848-1852, 400,000 new people flooded into the state. People from many countries and social classes moved to California, and many of them settled in San Francisco. All this diversity in one place created a very interesting dynamic. California during the Gold Rush, was a place of colliding ideals. The 49ers came from a very structured kind of life to a place where one was free to make up her own rules.
Throughout history, humans have been in search of ways to get rich quick. All around the world, people have been looking for and coming up with ways to make money quickly and easily. In the 1800’s that way was panning for gold. Nowadays, the lottery, and the stock market prove as a way to get rich quick, if the odds are in your favor! In California during what’s known as the California Gold Rush, men from all around the world traveled there in search of gold. Unfortunately, almost all of the men who went panning for gold returned home poor, only a few actually struck it rich.
...he Gold Rush A Primary Source History of the search for gold in California. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2001. Print.
A huge highlight of the 19th century was the discovery of gold. In 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold in Coloma, California (McKenzie 204). That year gold production rose from 10-million sterling to 35-million sterling (McKenzie 204). Population size in California began to grow rapidly, along with the rest of the world (McKenzie 144). As areas became more populated, people became more motivated to travel (McKenzie 208). In order to meet the needs of these new adventurous desires, me...
Gold, nothing can compare to this precious metal. A symbol of wealth and prosperity, it has been a value for explorers and adventurers and a lure for conquerors. Today it is vital to commerce and finance; popular in ornamentation, and increasing importance in technology.