Lecture 1 California and Utah

California and Utah

TAKE NOTES: Describe the group or individual and their role in establishing California and Utah.

How did the discovery of gold help California?

California

"My eye was caught by something shining in the bottom of the ditch. . . . I reached my hand down and picked it up; it made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold. . . Then I saw another."

-James Marshall

​The historians at Marshall Gold State Historic Park have concluded that it is not Marshall and believe it to be the photographer's assistant put in the photo to show scale.

Gold Rush Forty-niners

News begins to spread

• Once people heard of gold discovery nearby cities and towns emptied. News began to spread around the world too.

• Different groups came in search of wealth

• Cities such as San Francisco became boomtowns

• California was admitted to the Union as a free state in 1850.

Impact on cities

Most people did not strike it rich with gold

Gold miners needed supplies, so merchants settled in the cities. As more people arrived to find gold, stores, hotels, and gambling houses opened. People who did not find gold often stayed in the cities or became farmers.

The Gold Rush was responsible for encouraging people to move to San Francisco in the mid- to late-1800s. This incredible population growth led to California becoming a state in 1850.

San Francisco Population Growth

Multiple Choice

Who first discovered gold at the start of the California Gold Rush?

• John Sutter
• Abraham Lincoln
• William T. Sherman

• James W. Marshall

Multiple Choice

What happened when people rushed to California to search for gold?

• They started a farming community
• They built a new city

• They became famous actors
• Communities grew overnight

Multiple Choice

How did Congress admit led to California becoming a state in 1850?

• Gold Rush of 1849
• Mexican-American War
• Louisiana Purchase
• Compromise of 1850

Part 2:
Key People and Groups

How did the discovery of gold help California?

Conflict with Mexico

The Mexican-American War

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war with Mexico and made Californios—Mexicans living in California—citizens of the United States. The treaty also guaranteed them the rights to their lands. The Land Law of 1851, however, established a group of reviewers who examined the Californios' land rights. Californios had to prove ownership of the land. Some Californios were able to prove their claims. Many others lost their cases and their land.

Mariano Vallejo was a wealthy californio whose life spanned the transition of California from a district of Mexico to a state in the United States. He also took part in California’s constitutional convention and was elected to the state senate. With statehood, however, Vallejo found himself treated as a stranger in his own land, and he lost most of his property.

Key Person

Multiple Choice

How did California becoming a state impact the californios?

• It led to the loss of their land and political power.
• It resulted in the expansion of their territory and influence
• It had no impact on the californios
• It made them wealthier and more powerful

Multiple Choice

Who was Mariano Vallejo?

• A Californio military commander, politician, and rancher
• A renowned scientist from Europe
• A professional athlete from South America
• A famous chef from New York

Part 3: Utah and the Mormons

Why did the Mormons settle in Utah?

The People who settled Utah

Mormon Pioneers

Mormons, or members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were building a new community and fulfilling their vision of the godly life. The founder of the Mormon Church was Joseph Smith, a New Englander living in western New York. Smith said that he had received visions that led him to build a new church. He began preaching Mormon ideas in 1830.

The Mormon migration began in 1846. About 12,000 Mormons made the trek in the largest single migration in American history. The Mormons' route became known as the Mormon Trail and served as a valuable route to the western United States.

Migration

Utah Territory

Life in Utah

• At first life was difficult for the settlers.

• Mormon merchants sold supplies to the fortyniners who passed through Utah on their way to California.

• In 1848 the United States acquired the Salt Lake area from Mexico after the Mexican War. In 1850 Congress established the Utah Territory.

Match

Match the following

• 1846

Utah

Forty-niners

californio

Mormon handcart

Mexican War

• Utah

• Forty-niners

• californio

• Mormon handcart

• Mexican War

Multiple Choice

Who was Joseph Smith?

• 8th president of the United States

• Inventor of the light bulb
• Founder of the Latter Day Saints

• Famous chef known for creating the croissant

Word Cloud

One word about the people of California

Word Cloud

One word on the people of Utah.

Poll

How well do you underestand the people and groups of Utah and California?