California Gold Rush
Also called: Gold Rush · Topic: Settler Colonialism: Native Peoples of America and Australia · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Displacing Indigenous Peoples"
Meaning
The California Gold Rush began when traces of gold were found in California in the 1840s. Thousands of Europeans hurried there hoping to get rich quickly, and 1849 is the year most often linked with it. The rush was followed by railways that crossed the whole continent, which helped turn North America into an industrial power.
Example
Thousands of Chinese workers helped build the railways across the continent. The USA's line was finished by 1870 and Canada's by 1885. Between 1860 and 1890, the USA grew from an undeveloped economy into the world's leading industrial power.
Don't confuse with
- Australian gold rushes: these began in 1851 in a different colony. They also brought in Chinese labour, which Australia later stopped by law.