DO NOW ACTIVITY

Why is San Francisco’s football team called the 49ers…?

DO NOW ACTIVITY

Why is San Francisco’s football team called the 49ers…?

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH - THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD DURING THE 1840S ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ATTRACTS HOPING TO STRIKE IT RICH IN CALIFORNIA. JANUARY 24, 1848, WHEN JAMES MARSHALL, A CARPENTER, DISCOVERED GOLD IN A CALIFORNIA RIVER. AS WORD SPREAD, PEOPLE BEGAN TO FLOCK TO CALIFORNIA IN HOPES OF FINDING GOLD.

CH. 11.8 - SURGE TO THE PACIFIC

American settlers head west to seek prosperity in California

The isolated and sparsely settled Mexican state of California welcomes immigrants from other countries, particularly the U.S., to come live in its territory. Soon thousands of Americans travel west and try to make their fortune in California.

Film (3:14)

Until it has been polished, a nugget of gold doesn’t look like one — even when it’s as large as this one in a Brazil museum.

EARLIER GOLD RUSHES

While the 1849 Gold Rush is the one we remember, it was not the first gold rush. The first one happened in North Carolina starting in 1803. Not many people know about this one, because unlike later gold rushes no federal mint was established there at the time. Nevertheless, all of America's gold coinage from 1804 to 1828 was Carolina gold, shipped to Philadelphia for minting.

Reading activity handout In a bit, but first…

UNITED STATES COIN MINT MARK LOCATION

Mint Marks on most coins are:

P = produced at the Philadelphia Pennsylvania branch of the US Mint

D = produced at the Denver Colorado branch of the U.S. Mint

S = produced at the San Francisco California branch of the U.S. Mint

O = produced at the New Orleans Louisiana branch of the U.S. Mint

CC= produced at the Carson City Nevada branch of the U.S. Mint

C = Charlotte, North Carolina only on gold coins

D = Dahlonega, Georgia only on gold coins minted from 1838 to 1861

ANATOMY OF A COIN - THE MOTTO, MINT MARK, AND EDGE

EARLIER GOLD RUSHES

While the 1849 Gold Rush is the one we remember, it was not the first gold rush. The first one happened in North Carolina starting in 1803. Not many people know about this one, because unlike later gold rushes no federal mint was established there at the time. Nevertheless, all of America's gold coinage from 1804 to 1828 was Carolina gold, shipped to Philadelphia for minting.

Reading activity handout Complete now!

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

1. What is the MAIN reason why people migrate?

a) To obtain a better jobb) To get away from their mother-in-law, or

other family membersc) To get to a place that is more desirabled) Because land conditions recently made

living conditions unlivable

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

2. What North Carolina County, in 1799, was a seventeen-pound gold nugget discovered in?

a) Mecklenburgb) Rowanc) Onslowd) Cabarrus

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

3. How did early North Carolina pioneers mainly survive?

a) By trading with South Caroliniansb) By forming a booming city-like state in

what is currently Charlottec) By starting the nation’s first Newspaper

Company called Thornton & Co. Pressd) By raising livestock and growing crops

such as corn, wheat, barley and rye

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

4. Around 1805, William Thornton purchased thirty-five thousand acres of land and formed the…

a) Thornton Mining Companyb) North Carolina Gold Mine Companyc) Conrad’s Discoveryd) South Carolina Mining Company

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

5. This event made North Carolina’s gold rush comparable to the California Gold Rush of 1849, and greatly increased the numbers, and diversity, of the people in North Carolina?

a) J. Humphrey Bissell discovered a process to “speed up” the removal of gold from deep within the ground

b) William Thornton moved many families to North Carolina from thirteen different foreign countries to work the gold mines

c) Rowan County discovered a twenty-five pound gold nugget, drastically increasing the number of people in North Carolina

d) Matthias Barringer discovered that more gold could be found by following the veins of white quartz into the ground

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

6. The Carolina Gold Rush followed discovery of the first gold in North Carolina in what year?

a) 1825b) 1848c) 1799 d) 1805

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

7. What culture had the greatest influence on North Carolina mining culture?

a) Germanb) Cornishc) Scottishd) Irish

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

8. During the gold rush era, who made up the majority of the immigrants in North Carolina?

a) Single, young or middle-aged, menb) Eighty expert miners from eight different

foreign countriesc) European workers from Cornwall, Englandd) Miners who already knew how to use

steam technology, such as steam engines

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

9. In the early 1800’s, why did North Carolina earn the nickname “The Rip Van Winkle State?”

a) Because so much gold was discovered by a man named Rip Van Winkle

b) Because the Cornish culture helped develop industry so fast in North Carolina, that it seemed to almost happen in a “wink” on an eye

c) Because so little progress was made that the state appeared to be asleep like the character from a popular literature book

d) Today’s leaders in industry have only recently given that nickname to North Carolina and it was because how banking indirectly benefited from foreign investors in the long run

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

10. While the California Gold Rush began in 1848, in what year did the North Carolina Gold Rush officially begin?

a) 1825b) 1828c) 1803d) 1799

THE NORTH CAROLINA GOLD RUSH: QUIZ

Congratulations! You all get a 10/10 on this quiz just for participating.