Mass Craze During the California Gold Rush

California's finding of gold in 1848 greatly increased improvements that had taken place since 1769. The gold rush, which was already a gathering location for Mexicans, Russians, Americans, Europeans, and Americans, transformed California into a truly worldwide frontier where immigrants from every continent on land were jostling now. By the 1850, over 300,000 gold buyers invaded California, carrying the new Americans State an amazing range of dialects, cultures, and customs of society.

Many of these tourists were not interested in living in California, only planning to create their 'stack' and return home with gold-filled bags. The arrival and departure of thousands of immigrants, the highly multicultural nature of culture and the new existence of American organizations have turned Gold Rush California into a chaotic confusing scenery for both newcomers and natives alike.

Californians worried that they would lose their protected position and be lumped in with the thousands of Spanish-speaking immigrants from Mexico and other areas of Latin America who have settled in California during the Gold Rush. Mexicans and Chilenos were among the first people to arrive in 1848 in California and their closeness and mining knowledge offered them an advantage in the mine's cutthroat competition.

Their premature achievement resulted in the California legislature to embrace, as all of Latin Americans were called, an overseas miners permit tax directed at 'greasers' in 1850. When Latin American miners continued to settle the unlikely high tax, white Americans were given an invitation to push them out of wealthy mining fields.

Mexicans, Chileans, and Peruvians entered French and Germa in the mining town of Sonora, Just to be defeated by a hurriedly created White American militia. A Mexican bandit named Joaquín Murieta, who was fighting home against American injustices, started to distribute rumors across the gold country. A huge reward was offered by the California legislature and in 1853 a Texan named Harry Love produced the head of somebody he insisted was Murieta. It is unknown whether Joaquín Murieta ever lived, but many Latins honored him as a saint.

Although there were widespread discrimination and violence, Gold Rush California was also a location for cross-cultural communication and collaboration. Canadian merchant William Perkins explained the mining town of Sonora in 1849: 'There were individuals of every country to be seen in all kinds of costumes, and to speak 50 distinct dialects, yet all mix together in a friendly and social way' (Paddison, 2011).