Gold Rush: California at the Time of Discovery
California was a land in transition prior to the discovery of gold. Spain began colonization in 1769 and eventually established 21 missions and 4 military presidios along the coast. When Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, California became a Mexican territory. The missions were dissolved, and the land transferred to wealthy Mexican families. These families, known as Californios, raised cattle whose hides were sold to Boston tanneries, and tallow to South American candle and soap factories. Thus, California was already part of an international marketplace. By the 1830s and 1840s more and more settlers from America and other countries were staking claims in California without becoming Mexican citizens. This encroachment into Mexican territory would create the circumstances for the discovery of gold.
William A. Leidesdorff
William A. Leidesdorff (1810-1848) was one of the founders of San Francisco (originally known as Yerba Buena) where he built a warehouse, shipyard, and lumberyard. He was born in St. Croix (then in the Danish West Indies) to a Danish-Jewish father and Creole mixed-race mother. Leidesdorff worked as a ship’s captain before migrating to California in 1841. He became a Mexican citizen in 1844 and was given land grants in Yerba Buena and the Sierra foothills. During the Mexican-American War Leidesdorff supported the U.S. and gave supplies and equipment to U.S. troops.
General Mariano Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (1807-1890) has a long history in California, both as a Mexican citizen, and then as a U.S. citizen. He was a military commander, politician, and founder of the town of Sonoma. After California became part of the U.S., Vallejo participated in the California State Constitutional Convention, and was also a member of the first state legislature. Later in life, he worked to preserve the history of Spanish and Mexican California, writing the five volumes Historical and Personal Remembrances of Alta California.
Native American Rancheria
This artist rendering and interpretation of a small Native American settlement in Yuba City, was probably printed sometime in the 1850s. Prior to the gold rush, inland native tribes and bands had been able to preserve their traditional lifestyle despite Spanish occupation because Spain focused on coastal areas.
Spanish Mission
Photographic reproduction of a painting of Mission of Santa Clara. When Spain colonized California, they established several missions along the coast. These missions functioned as towns and included churches, schools, farms, factories, and prisons. They often operated in conjunction with a nearby military presidio and agricultural pueblo. When Mexico gained independence from Spain, the mission system was abolished, and most of the land was transferred to wealthy landowners.
John A. Sutter
John Augustus Sutter (1803-1880) was a born in Germany but grew up in Switzerland. Fleeing debt and bankruptcy, Sutter eventually migrated to California in 1839, and was given a land grant along the Sacramento River. He built a fort and established a colony called Nueva Helvetia (New Switzerland). While Sutter often helped white and European settlers, he was known to be cruel and harsh to local native peoples whose labor he exploited. Sutter’s land would be overrun by gold miners and squatters and by 1858, he would lose most of his holdings.
Sutter’s Fort
Manuel Valencia painted this image of Sutter’s Fort in 1875 based on drawings done by his father. John A. Sutter built the fort on his large land holding in what would become Sacramento. Sutter used and exploited native labor to build and maintain his fort, which included 18-foot walls, shops, houses for craftsmen, and mills. Initially a popular stop for settlers migrating to California and Oregon, the fort would fall into disrepair and abandonment a few years after the gold rush.
Mexican-American War, 1846-1848
This highly stylized artist rendering of the Battle of Monterrey, shows U.S. and Mexican forces engaged in combat. This was the first battle of the war to occur in Mexico and was fought September 20-24, 1846. This conflict was very different from the Battle of Monterey in California fought on July 7, 1846, when U.S. troops took control of the town unopposed. The end of the Mexican-American War would see over 500,000 square miles of previous Mexican territory added to the United States, including California.
James Marshall
James W. Marshall partnered with John Sutter to build a sawmill on the American River. During the construction of that mill, Marshall discovered gold in the tail race. This discovery would change the fate of California and of Marshall and Sutter. The land by the sawmill was quickly overrun by gold miners. Marshall never made it rich mining gold, and several of his business interests would fail. At times he raised money by selling his photograph, such as this one, showing Marshall in his later years.