The Gold Rush Teacher Questions

  1. Who was Sam Brandon? Describe his role in the start of the gold Rush
  2. When was the Mexican War peace treaty signed in relation to finding gold in California?
  3. Who first rushed to the gold fields?
  4. How easy was the gold to find at first? Where was it found? What is placer gold?
  5. What did people in South America do at the news of gold in California? Other parts of the world?
  6. How did the news of gold in California make it to the Eastern U.S.? What were the stories told? How did people react at first? What changed after President Polk received the proof?
  7. What did people do to prepare to go to California?
  8. Describe the three ways from the eastern United States to California. Give the merits, costs and dangers of each route.
  9. Who was Hirum Pierce?
  10. Who were the “Forty-Niners?”
  11. What methods were used to find gold in the first months?
  12. What attitude did the pioneers from Oregon display toward foreigners in 1849? Support with examples of prejudice.
  13. Describe life in San Francisco in 1848 and 1849.
  14. How was Sam Brandon doing in his business ventures?
  15. What did Hirum Pierce find when he arrived in July 1849? How many people had already arrived in California? ____ fraction were American, ______fraction were men and over ______were ages 20-30.
  16. Describe the work life in the mining region. What motivated men in California? Why did lynch law prevail?
  17. What did women do to earn money in California?
  18. Who became blamed for men not getting rich quick? Who were the first targets of this prejudice? Give examples.
  19. Who was Joaquin Murrita? Describe his biography and legend. Who tracked him and how was he said to be killed? What was the reward paid? Was he really killed? Give evidence for and against.
  20. How does the fictional Zorro relate to Joaquin Murrita?
  21. How is Hirum Pierce doing when he was a year in California? How and what was his wife Sarah doing? Why did Hirum continue to stay in California?
  22. What happened to the Indians in California? What was the role of the government in this? What fraction of Indians were left after 20 years? Was this genocide?
  23. Who was Alfred Dotan? Describe his lifestyle. Did he ever change his ways? Why?
  24. When did California become a state?
  25. How did the Chinese manage to come in such large numbers to California?
  26. What is indenture?
  27. How did whites react to Chinese in California? Explain.
  28. Why did men find it hard to go home and admit failure?
  29. What came of Hirum Pierce’s gamble on the Merced River? What he then do?
  30. In 1851 and after where was gold to be found in California? How was it mined?
  31. Why did the wild early days pass and California change?
  32. What is the myth of the gold rush? Reality?
  33. What did HIrum Pierce do once he was home?

Critical Thinking

  1. In what ways are our lives easier than the lives of California pioneers? In what ways are they more difficult?
  2. Compare the motives that led Americans to Texas, Oregon and California?
  3. How was the settling of California fulfilling “manifest destiny?”
  4. How might the history of California have been different is the Gold Rush had not occurred?