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The California Gold Rush

From Mr. Betts' Class

The California Gold Rush
6 min5th6thSocial Studies
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Summary

A 'Memestory' on the 1849 California Gold Rush -- how the hope of striking it rich pulled huge numbers of people west and changed California overnight. A money-and-migration story.

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Teaching resources

Discussion questions

Discussion

A 'Memestory' on the 1849 California Gold Rush -- how the hope of striking it rich pulled huge numbers of people west and changed California overnight.

  1. Why did so many people rush to California?
  2. Did most gold-seekers actually get rich? Why or why not?
  3. How did the Gold Rush change California so fast?

Quick work-a-long

Vocabulary: gold rush, migration, boom.

Try it: Explain why the promise of gold caused so many people to move.