Abstract
This paper examines, from a historiographic perspective, the current state of historical scholarship on the matter of environmental degradation and devastation as a result of the California Gold Rush in the mid to late nineteenth century. The paper reveals that the literature on the subject is remarkably consistent. Historical analysis almost uniformly brands the Gold Rush as supremely destructive to the environment.

From the Paper
"The history of the California Gold Rush is well-documented. What is less clear is the historical study of the lasting environmental impacts that the Gold Rush had on the California region. To be sure, the environmental impact of the Gold Rush would have been severe, if only taken in the context of the incredible demographic changes that took place in the early to mid nineteenth century. With that many people uprooting from eastern locales and making the trek west to make their fortune at the edge of the American frontier, the environment would have been hard-pressed to absorb..."

Tags:environment, gold, rush

Abstract
The paper reveals that the Gold Rush was a dark moment in the environmental history of the American West. The paper describes how the Gold Rush resulted in significant ecosystem destruction through deforestation, sedimentation, hydraulic mining and mercury pollution. The paper looks closely at the historical facts of the Gold Rush that indicate how the environment was severely damaged by the mining operations.

From the Paper
"The history of the California Gold Rush is well-documented. What is less clear is the historical study of the lasting environmental impacts that the Gold Rush had on the California region. To be sure, the environmental impact of the Gold Rush would have been severe, if only taken in the context of the incredible demographic changes that took place in the early to mid nineteenth century. With that many people uprooting from eastern locales and making the trek west to make their fortune at the edge of the American frontier, the environment would have been hard-pressed to absorb the shock of that much more stress on the local ecosystems. However, even a cursory examination of contemporary historical work on the subject reveals that the environmental destruction was even more significant than that. The California Gold Rush, it would seem, resulted in a powerfully terrible environmental legacy for the state."

Tags:ecosystem, deforestation, sedimentation, hydraulic, mining, mercury, pollution

Abstract
This paper explains that the people who came during the California Gold Rush ultimately revolutionized the West by lighting the spark of consumerism and greed, seeking their fortune, and the so-called "American Dream". The paper points out that, just as the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 stimulated intrigue about what was in the Ohio Valley, the annexation of Texas and the acquisition of Oregon spurred intrigue and excitement and spawned the mass movement Westward. The paper relates that the confirmation of gold discovery in California in May, 1849, by President Polk, had great influence over the American public and created a mass hysteria to seek gold in California.

From the Paper
"California, which was once a colony of Spain and then a part of Mexico, remained virtually untouched. When the Spanish occupied this area, they did little to improve the area. The population consisted of few; however, the few that were in the most northern region of Mexico had a distinct class relation hierarchy. Government officials were made up of Spanish aristocracy, who intermarried with natives. The Spanish military also intermarried with the natives, missionaries and convicts. Spain had discouraged foreign immigration into California. Her object was neither to attract settlers nor to develop the country; the object of California was to retain political control and make it a possible asylum for Spanish people. The few settlers that came before 1822 were mainly of substantial character, possessing a real interest in the country and an intention of permanent settlement. Most of them became naturalized, married Spanish women, acquired property and became trusted citizens."

Tags:mexico, oregan, spain, consumerism, hysteria

Abstract
This paper examines the time surrounding the California gold rush. The gold rush made rich and powerful men out of those that were before merely ignorant and greedy. The gold rush fed the dreams of the masses and ushered in a new era of development in the west. Fortunes are being made today overnight but perhaps they will never be so accessible as they were at the time to of the gold rush when a man with no other idea than hope could make his fortune with a shovel and leather pouch.

Abstract
This paper explores the impact of the Californian Gold Rush on the history of the state of California. This paper discusses the events leading up to this event, the history of the event and how the Gold Rush totally transformed the face of California.

From the Paper
"The California Gold Rush was one of the single most important events in the history of that state. It quite literally changed the face of the region, not only physically and environmentally but also demographically and politically. For the Californians who had settled there before the Gold Rush, the events of the mid to late nineteenth century would utterly transform their world. The newcomers who arrived in search of their fortunes consumed and forever changed the fate of that state to be. Had gold never been discovered in California, modern California would be entirely unrecognizable to our modern eyes. The Gold Rush began in California in 1848 when James Marshall, a sawmill operator about forty-five miles northeast of Sacramento, came across what he thought might be gold."

Tags:california, gold, rush

Abstract
This paper looks at how the Gold Rush was a frenzied surge of greed and power into a beautiful serene land that was virtually without laws. The paper further looks at how people, determined to find great wealth, stepped out of their normal lives and values and plundered the land. It also discusses how California still suffers from the effects of this pollution and devastation.

From the Paper
"Although the small mining towns proved to be a source of jobs for some, there was atrocious racial prejudice on the part of westerners toward, primarily toward Native Americans and Chinese. If there happened to be Native Americans living in the area of a claim, they were quickly driven away from their homes so that a settlement could be established. Although many Indians were employed as paid labor in the mines and diggings, the "Gold Rush incited ambushes, massacres and deliberate extermination campaigns of native peoples in Calfornia" (Project Underground)."

Tags:dust, fortune

Abstract
In this essay, the writer discusses the similarities between the California Gold Rush and the Gold Rush in South Africa. The paper focuses on the racial tensions that arose because of these Gold Rush periods in both countries.

From the Paper
"The California gold rush began with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on the American River in northern California. When word reached San Francisco, thousands from that city and other parts of California flocked to the region. Much of the early gold rush involved surface diggings and shallow streams and operated at a low technological level. The gold was gathered in a pan full of sand and grave land washed out with water leaving the heavier gold in the ... "

Tags:gold rush, california, south africa, gold, economy, history, conflict

Abstract
In this article, the writer maintains that all of the events of westward expansion and manifest destiny are very important, but the most significant event which caused westward expansion in the late 1840s was the California Gold Rush. The writer focuses on the women that were involved in the gold rush and what their actual roles were. The writer notes that this is very important because most people do not realize how women like Louise Amelia Clappe and others like her affected the gold rush and what took place at that time in history. The writer concludes that the extreme greed that over took many people, the violence and tragedy that broke out over the desire for wealth, and the destruction of the native people of California made the California gold rush one of the most tumultuous times in history.

From the Paper
"The most famous tales of the California Gold Rush say that in January of 1848, James Marshall, who was an employee of John Sutter, was building a sawmill. This incomplete mill was what would later become known as Sutter's Mill, and it is where the first piece of gold that consequently started the California Gold Rush was found. Sutter received the property from the Mexican government, as he talked them into granting him 48,000 acres in the Sacramento Valley. Unfortunately, the land that the Mexican government granted to Sutter was already owned by Indians who had been in that area a great deal longer than any Mexican or American settlers. The ranch that Sutter lived on was run and staffed almost entirely by Indians. There is some discrepancy about whether or not Sutter treated his Indian workers well, or whether they were used more as slaves."

Tags:Oregon, Trail, Louise, Amelia, Clappe, mining

Abstract
This paper reviews the respective histories and development of San Francisco and Los Angeles to determine the differences and similarities between the two cities.The areas addressed in the paper include location, environment and economic development.

From the Paper
"The purpose of this paper is to review the respective histories and development of San Francisco and Los Angeles to determine the differences and similarities between the two cities. San Francisco is a product of its location and geological formation. It lies in a valley area shaped by volcanic hills. Over the last years climatic change flooded that valley and transformed it into an excellent natural harbor."

Tags:Los Angeles, San Francisco, urban, rural, agriculture, gold rush, Alta California, land frenzy, water, Hoover Dam, financial center