Life in the 1850's

Life in the 1850's

In 1850, Scandinavian gold miners in California formed the first ski clubs in the

United States. On June 2nd, a series of fires destroyed several million dollars worth of

property in San Francisco. In 1851, Cornelius Vanderbilt established a steam ship route

from New York to California. In 1852, Congress established the Oregon territory. A

year later, a San Francisco club introduced the Irish sport of hurling into the United

States. That same year a yellow fever epidemic killed 5,000 people in New Orleans. In

1854, the Kansas Nebraska Act opened the Kansas and Nebraska territories to popular

sovereignty on the issue of slavery. In 1855, violence erupted over the expansion of

slavery in "Bleeding Kansas." In 1856, Mormon leaders furnished handcarts to

immigrants who intended to cross the plains. On May 24, John Brown and his son killed

5 proslavery men at Pottamatomie Creek in Kansas. In 1857, U.S. troops were sent to

Utah to put down a Mormon rebellion. An expedition led by Albert Sidney Johnston and

guided by James Bridger explored the Yellowstone river valley. In 1858, John

Butterfield opened an overland stage route. On May 2nd, marathon horse riding became

the craze in California. John Powers rode 150 miles on a racetrack in 6 hours, 43

minutes, and 31 seconds; he used 25 mustangs and won $5,000. On May 11th,

Minnesota entered the United States as the 32nd state. In 1859, mining operations

increased in Nevada and Colorado. That same year painter Albert Bierstadt traveled

through the Rocky Mountains. On February 14th, Oregon entered the Union as the 33rd

state. During the 1850's the Western movement was still ...

... middle of paper ...

...ucted between Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa. On August 24, a drop

in grain prices and the over-production of U.S. manufactured goods in an atmosphere of

renewed land speculation set off another panic. The resulting depression lasted two

years. In 1858, the Butterfield Overland Mail began service to California. On March

30th, Hyman Lipman patented the first pencil with an eraser. In July, gold was

discovered near present-day Denver, Colorado, which initiated the Pikes Peak Gold Rush

and the white settlement of Colorado. (Chronicle of America; American Eras)

Bibliography:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Daniel, Clifton. "Chronicle of America," 1997

Mancall, Peter. "American Eras," 1999

Corporation, Microsoft. "Encarta Encyclopedia," 1997-2000

Corporation, Infonautics. "Encyclopedia.com," 2000