Global Effects of California Gold Rush

Even before the Gold Rush craze, there were many people who moved to California in search of “a romantic vision of life, attracting more Americans who sought more than agricultural life and familial responsibilities.” The later findings of gold in early 1848 by James Marshall, drew in many more settlers in the years to come. This led to an increase in the population of San Francisco from about 500 people in 1848 to 50,000 people in 1853. The idea of striking it rich by finding gold definitely gave more reason for people to come to California and the desire for a transcontinental railroad between the West and the East Coast. In the meantime, without a train like that, many people packed up their lives and headed west to find gold. This is the way the Gold Rush is often pictured, with Americans heading from east to west in search of gold and a better life. What is usually left out from this story is all of the other people who were rushing to California, too, or ones who were already there. This includes the first arrivers from places near the Pacific including Hawaii, Mexico, China, Peru, and Australia.

This arrival and combination of so many different people created problems such as tension around race, language, and culture. Basically, the white landowners were in charge and they made it hard for non-whites and non-Americans to be there. One-fifth of California’s mining population consisted of Mexicans and Chinese. There was a great fear that these immigrants would take over the United States.

There was a general idea that Americans had a right to all the gold. It seems like there was a push to keep other countries out. In reading Chapter 12 from The American Yawp, it talks about how the Monroe Doctrine from 1823 connects to this idea. The Monroe Doctrine states that the Western Hemisphere belongs to the U.S and gives a warning to Europe to stay away from it. The reason for this was because the United States didn’t want the competition. Primary sources also give a lot of insight into the Pacific's involvement in the Gold Rush.

For example, Edward Kemble writes about San Francisco in 1846 and 1847, most Americans did not know of the possibility that there was gold and they did not know that an individual named Captain Sutter had supposedly found some gold along with his men.. Kemble describes people passing through San Francisco not mentioning gold. There was one man, however, who shows the “first few drops” of gold in his greasy purse, but Kemble portrays him as kind of a crazy, untrustworthy person. There was mention of gold being found but there wasn’t much belief. Kemble then describes a Russian steamboat with Captain Leidesdorff that arrived in San Francisco in October 1847. The passengers of this boat seek gold in April 1848. It is interesting to read that some of the first gold seekers may have been Russian, not American.

Another primary source is the State of the Union Address by President James Polk in December 1848. In this speech, Polk confirmed the rumors of gold findings in California, stating that it was true. He spoke about how the gold was one of the “spoils” of victory in the War against Mexico and he urged Americans to move west. Polk also states that “From its position, it (California) must command… China... islands of the Pacific, Mexico, Central America... and Russia’s possessions.” It is not clear why California should be in command of all these other places. Also, Polk suggests that the U.S. needs to tap into mines of Mexico, Central America, Chile, and Peru stating that Britain is currently doing that. From his speech, it looks like he is encouraging white Americans to get to the gold first before immigrants do. He says “that we may the more speedily and fully avail ourselves of the underdeveloped wealth of these mines, it is deemed of vast importance,” President Polk says that with the new acquisition of California and its gold, Europe cannot compete with the U.S. This also shows how the Gold Rush actually involves the whole world, not just California and the U.S.

Another way that the California Gold Rush had global effects is in the treatment of Mexicans and Chinese. Life was especially hard for them. Chinese and Mexicans were forced to pay a Foreign Miners tax in order to mine. It started as a $20.00 amount they had to pay to be able to mine during a month but later went down to $4.00. This, along with violence against them, was a reaction to the fear of what’s different (culture, language) and the fear of white men not getting their share of the gold.