The California Gold Rush: The Rise Of The American Dream

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"California presented to people a new model for the American dream-one where the emphasis was on the ability to take risks, the willingness to gamble on the future." announced by Samuel Brannan in 1848 through the streets of San Francisco. This quote relates to the numerous amount of people that traveled westward to achieve the American dream. California gold rush had short and long term effects on the people of the United States of America and surrounding areas that had unexpedectly changed America as a whole. Short term effects of the California gold rush was extremely relevant and important in the development and change in the American society and country. The discovery of gold in California on January 24, 1848 marked the commencement of the change in development of America. People of America made the daring journey out to California to achieve the so called American dream. At this time period, the American dream was finding the opportunity of having succes and prosperity. For instance, a quarter of a million of the American populaton were driven to California turning this remote area into a cosmopolitan state. Without James Polk's announcement about gold have been discovered groups like the 49'ers or the Oregon Trail would have never been originated. The pioneer group called the 49'ers were derived from Jamestown, New York that were determined to find gold for their families back at home. 49'ers also had an incredible impact on causing California's population to dramatically increase over a course of two years by thousands. The Oregon …show more content…

It brought a sense of freedom and independence on those who traveled, created a cosmopolitan in a short time frame. The gold rush made California into a state and enterprise. "Adventures began and ended there." which was once what Carl Nolte a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle said on the California Gold

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