Living in the Gold Rush
"Many, very many, that come here meet with bad success and thousands will leave their bones here. Others will lose their health, contract diseases that they will carry to their graves with them. Some will have to beg their way home, and probably one half that come here will never make enough to carry them back. But this does not alter the fact about the gold being plenty here, but shows what a poor frail being man is, how liable to disappointments, disease and death." -Mr. Shufelt. Living and working during the Gold Rush was not easy. Shufelt states how, "There is a good deal of sin and wickedness going on here". He talks about much stealing, swearing, drinking, gambling and murdering. Money was one of the biggest issues here. all of these men made this trek to make money, when most did the exact opposite. When placing this event in the context of the time period, one discovers that the men and women living here did not have much money, and the goods were very expensive. Because of supply and demand, the prices of everyday items were very high. A single egg could go for $25 in today money, coffee was more than $100 and to replace a pair of boots it could cost around $2,500. A miner would have to find an ounce of gold a day to break even. With much gambling, Men could loose $115-$225 per night. When assessing the hardships most people had to go though here, it is clear that it was not an easy life for anyone in California.
What were the women of the gold rush doing? Only two percent of the California-bound immigrants in 1849 were female. Between 1,000 to 3,000 women crossed the planes in the first year of the gold rush. When assesing the situation, it is clear that this was not a place for many women. Only the strong and brave to could last the travel to California and the hardships thy crossed when they got there. They baked, washed, mended, and other domestic work. One woman baked and sold $18,000 worth in pies! They opened boarding houses, and provided food and lodging. Some women found life easier if they hid there femininity. They would dress as men to get better wages at jobs. "This morning the gold fever raged so high that I went again to dig with the rest but got very little gold," Lucena Parsons wrote in her journal. "Came home tired tonight. Still in good spirits." The death rate was also very high, one in every five miners who came to California in 1849 was dead within six months. There were a lot of risks, but
What were the women of the gold rush doing? Only two percent of the California-bound immigrants in 1849 were female. Between 1,000 to 3,000 women crossed the planes in the first year of the gold rush. When assesing the situation, it is clear that this was not a place for many women. Only the strong and brave to could last the travel to California and the hardships thy crossed when they got there. They baked, washed, mended, and other domestic work. One woman baked and sold $18,000 worth in pies! They opened boarding houses, and provided food and lodging. Some women found life easier if they hid there femininity. They would dress as men to get better wages at jobs. "This morning the gold fever raged so high that I went again to dig with the rest but got very little gold," Lucena Parsons wrote in her journal. "Came home tired tonight. Still in good spirits." The death rate was also very high, one in every five miners who came to California in 1849 was dead within six months. There were a lot of risks, but