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Advantages
- 1848/9 was a huge turning point - new areas of settlement were growing in the West.
- San Francisco went from a sleepy village to a major city-port, rivaling New York.
- Other Industries grew like the ship building, construction and later railroads.
- Some people got rich! Levi Strauss made his fortune selling denim jeans to miner. Sam Brannan bought every pickaxe, shove and pan in the region. A metal pan that had cost 20 cents was sold for $15. In 9 weeks he made $36,000.
- It made the USA a world trader, and California became a rich state, forcing the East to forge link West.
- Later discoveries of gold in Arizona, Dakota, Oregon, Montana and Nevada.
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Disadvantages
- Poor quality of life - most people had live in dirty tents or cabins Pay was often poor and the hours were long. Fever and Cholera killed many.
- Some 49ers gave up when the surface gold was gone and went back East- leaving the towns deserted 'ghost towns' and landscapes scarred.
- Vigilantes - miners set their own own court to deal with crime or disputes. Vigilante groups often lynched people and operated above the law.
- Racial violence - the gold rush attracted people from Europe, China, Mexico as well as Black America and Indians. The mining town saw terrible racial riots.
- Law and Order - gambling, drinking and prostitution were rife. Many were murdered as claims were stolen (claim-jumping). There were no courts or police to prevent crime.
- Place names tell the story: Hangtown, Gouge eye, Rough and Ready and Whiskeytown.
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