The Role of Women in California Golden Rush

August 29, 2021

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The California Gold Rush was a significant fuel to economic growth in the west. It provided economic opportunities previously unavailable to many individuals in different parts of the world. As a result, it attracted people from various countries, both males and females. The California Gold Rush caused one of the greatest migrations to America. The immigrants moved to California in search of greener pastures as gold was and still is one of the most valuable metals. Traditionally, there was a clear separation in what was considered masculine and feminine roles in the society. Mining was one of the tasks primarily considered a manly job. It, therefore, implied that men were the primary providers of labor in the California gold mines. Nevertheless, women were equally important, and they migrated in thousands in search of better life and also to join their families. In their absence, the mining business would not be possible. The role of women in the California Gold Rush was significant since they participated in the various fields as described below.

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The Discovery of Gold

Gold in California was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in January 1848 as a foreman worked on the American River . The good news spread in March of the same year when published in a newspaper. Gold discovery saw a wave of migration from all over the world into the area. The first people to relocate, however, were native Californians most of whom were farmers. They abandoned their farms and moved with their families to venture into gold mining. More gold was discovered in others parts of California attracting more immigrants. In 1981, nuggets of gold were found in the far northern part of California though in a smaller number . More deposits were discovered in southern California though it attracted little attention and consequently had little economic impact. Generally, many people bore torturous journeys across the sea and arrived by ship through the port of San Francisco.

Notably, most of these immigrants were men as mining was considered a masculine job. They accounted for about 94% of the entire population in San Francisco – the town where most of the immigrants settled. Over time, however, women started moving in the region as well. The first group of females to migrate into the area came as entertainers. They worked in saloons and casinos among other entertainment areas. Even though the number of women was growing, men still continued to dominate. In 1860, the ratio of men to women was three to two. In the later years, however, the demographics changed as miners brought in their wives and children from their native continents to join them in California. The rise in the number of women attributed to the significant role played by women in the society. As the mining business thrived, women played an integral role in the California Gold Rush. They carried out the functions termed as feminine in the then society as discussed below.

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Entertainment

In 1949, the ratio of men to women in Francisco where many miners lived was fifty to one. on the fact of the shortage of women in the gold mine spread far and wide, which attracted a large number of females from all over the world. The first group of women to arrive in California came as entertainers . These women mostly came from low-income families who saw an opportunity to earn quick money. Most of them did not have travel money. Once they arrived in San Francisco, they got hired immediately, and their employers paid off their debt in exchange for a free work for an agreed number of months.

The arrival of these women into the mine fields was welcome with open hands just because they were females. These women worked in entertainment facilities such as bars or casinos among others providing what was considered entertainment services to the male mine workers. As a result of a vast number of men in the region at the time, prostitution was considered neither illegal nor immoral. On the contrary, commercial sex workers made a lot of money; some became successful business women running brothels while others became mistresses of wealthy mine workers. In later years when prostitution became illegal, these successful brothel owners manipulated the court system and police officers to remain in business. Back then, the more light-skinned a woman was, the more attractive she was considered. White prostitutes were found to be more attractive and as a result charged more than their less light-skinned counterparts. Some of the entertainers also worked as dancers in the dancehalls where miners frequently went for entertainment after long days in the minefields. The success of this group of women was, however, short-lived as miners began bringing over their families. The women who once were sought after were now looked down upon and such practice were seen as a vice in the eyes of many.

Entrepreneurs

The 1850s saw the arrival of a new group of women . Unlike the first group, they were considered the women of integrity. They were industrious and economic-oriented. As miners earned a living from gold mining, many started sending money home for their wives and children to come and join them. The single men also sent money to their brides to move to California. In many cases, they got married as soon as the ladies arrived in San Francisco.

The other group of women saw unexplored economic opportunities. These were lucrative opportunities previously unavailable to them; therefore, they moved to explore them. When the women came to join their husbands, many of them ventured into business as their men went to the gold fields. Many ventured into the food business where they sold food to the miners who were eager to pay good money for a homemade meal. Some of these women even earned more than their husbands made from mining. Others ventured into boarding business where they provided accommodation services to the miners at a fee.

Additionally, a big number of men in California created a high demand for services that would otherwise be offered by women without even a “thank you” such as washing and sewing clothes. Some women saw these as readily available business opportunities and quickly ventured into them. Surprisingly, the men were willing to pay generously for the services. One such woman was Mary Ellen Pleasant who made a fortune offering culinary services to the people. She later invested in an accounting company becoming a very successful businesswoman of her time. The arrival of the families of the miners opened up new business opportunities. The fashion industry is one such opportunity. Women made and sold fashionable clothes to their fellow women and men. The presence of economically motivated women in the region was critical in opening up business start-ups. The enterprises they established enhanced the economy of California attracting more business people resulting in the growth of towns and classes in the region.

Gold mining did not attract men alone; some women such as Louise Clappe also ventured into the activity. It was uncommon to see women panning next to their husbands. The first women to join their men in panning were from the native Indian communities . Later, other women came into the business. However, due to the nature of the hard labor involved, they opted to hire men to mine on their behalf. These women were determined to have their share of the newly found fortunes. One woman is reported to have hired three male miners to work for her.

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Home Keepers

A closer look at journals of the first male miners in California reveals a longing for the company of decent and respectable women they left back at home. The women who arrived as entertainers could not become wives. Back then, the role of being home keepers squarely fell on women. Consequently, it was difficult for the men to live without their partners. The miners, therefore, had to find ways to bring their beloved to California. Living without women meant that they had to do tasks considered feminine such cooking, washing, sewing, and looking after children among others. Their inability to live without wives points to the important role played by women in the society as homemakers and keepers. Once they arrived, they stayed at home to cook, clean, bring up children, and do other female duties. Even those women who worked all day had to do house chores as their husbands still had to fulfill these functions. This gave the men a chance to focus on gold mining and other male duties. Their commitment to their homes echoes the notion that the home was a female dominion. It was the sanctuary where children and families thrived, therefore, being an important component of a lady.

Though the role of providing for the family was left to the men, women in the California Gold Rush were experiencing an alteration in the then womanhood. As men and females moved westwards to California, women were seen almost equal to men. Ensuring the survival of their homes was their number one priority, some of the women ventured into business and helped their husbands to provide for their families as some even made more than the men did in the mines . Nevertheless, the man remained the head of the household and the women subjected to him. The presence of wives had a positive impact on miners as many stopped visiting entertainment joints and went home to be with their families. The presence of families laid the basis upon which a community was established and thrived.

Shaped the Society’s View of Women

Women were expected to uphold morals in the society. Before the arrival of noble women in California, chaos, crime, immorality, and diseases dominated. However, with their arrival, these vices slowly dwindled. Women were responsible for instilling morals in children and younger people in the society. They took seriously the fact that they helped shape the future of their children and that of the society as well. Though the conditions in the gold mines were harsh, these women bore the suffering to uphold social standards at the same time providing for their families. While women were discouraged from getting involved in matters, not all did this. Some females in the Gold Rush participated in events outside their homes. Women in the Gold Rush were not traditional women. The living conditions made them take up roles that were previously considered male duties.

The wealthier women in the Gold Rush had a voice and could make their opinions heard. Consequently, a new sense developed in women . Declaring their views openly was not something they did in the past. Women were given exclusive absolute reign in their homes, and men hoped that it would preoccupy them. With the ladies starting to express their opinions, feminist ideas were developing, which was troublesome to the society. Women started taking up male roles and providing for their families. They were seen almost as equal to men though they were still submissive to them. It was a significant change in the society’s mindset in which women were seen as inferior to men and did not have a voice. The California Gold Rush women were rising above their inferior status to acquire a more superior position almost equal to that of men.

After the 1850s, the California laws allowed for easier divorce, and more women sought to separate from their abusive husbands. This became possible as many of them were economically empowered. Victorian values and views changed, and family became more fleeting compared to the east. One such woman was Mary Jane Megquier who made a fortune running a boarding house together with her husband . Upon their return home, they experienced difficulties in marriage. There she was not judged for leaving her husband as she would at home. She opted to return to San Francisco on her own. Women enjoyed more freedom in the West than they did in their home places. They played a vital role in women empowerment and the growth of feminist ideas which helped shape the way the society views women.

Preserving History

The California Gold Rush women played a vital role in preserving the history of that era. Without their notable contribution, historians today would probably not understand the life of that time as it was. Many of them wrote journals that described the daily life in the mine fields. They recorded detailed accounts of the life, experiences, and challenges in the gold mines. Women helped cultivate and shape the west. There is plenty of evidence of groom journals written by some of these women that show how they forged a different path in the California Gold Rush environment.

Letters was another way to record and preserve the happenings in the Gold Rush. Often, women wrote letters to their families back at home. In the letters, they told about their daily activities, their development as women, and their challenges. One woman, Mary Jane Megquier, frequently wrote letters to her daughter back at home giving her accounts of their lives in California and how different things were there as compared to those at home. From those letters, historians have been able to establish the important roles played by women both as home keepers and influencers of events far from their homes.

From the letters and journals, historians can determine the extent to which the conditions in goldmines changed both men and women. The gold mines comprised people from all walks of life. Each came from a distinct culture but living together, it was inevitable that a new culture would emerge. These recordings provide an insight into the new culture that developed from the interaction of different backgrounds and experiences in strange and harsh conditions. They serve as an eye opener to how women embraced a newly found freedom and how they influenced and brought sanity in the region previously dominated by vice. If there were no those journals and letters, historians would not have been able to study and understand the life in the California Gold Rush era.

Establishing a Society in California

Before the arrival of the women of integrity, the gold mines were dominated by chaos and lawlessness. Crime, immorality, and disease were widespread. The region lacked many essential social amenities. Many of the miners lived in shanties without a proper housing. The arrival of women from the East marked a new revolution. Their men had to establish better houses for their wives and children. In turn, it gave rise to classes with establishments in high and middle-class establishments. Traditional roles implied that they were expected to instill morality into the society they found. Even with the development of the new culture, women were still seen as civilizers.

With the arrival of families to California, there were established amenities such as schools and hospitals. Women worked as teachers in schools and were responsible for instilling morals in the school-going children. Others built hospitals and drug stores to cater for the need of a population stuck by diseases when medical field was still undergoing evolution. As the community developed, there were created the establishment that brought about laws and illegalized prostitution which was previously acceptable; this helped to promote morality in the young children. With time, a society with a new culture distinct from that of many Eastern nations was created. Its foundation came from the experiences of the people in the Gold Rush and the presence of women who bought with them civilization into a chaotic society.

The California Gold Rush attracted thousands of miners from all over the world. The majority of these miners were men, and they accounted for 90% of the entire population. When people got to know about the shortage of women in the area, it attracted females from all over the world. The first group of women who arrived there were entertainers. They worked in saloons, dance halls, bars, and other entertainment joints. Prostitution was not considered a crime, and these women made a fortune providing sexual services to their male clients. Entertainment is not the only role played by the California Gold Rush women; they also got involved in business. Though the traditional woman was left to take care of home, the women in California ventured into business. They took advantage of their domestic skills to provide services that were in high demand among the male miners such as boarding, washing clothes, ironing, and cooking among others. The women made quite a fortune, and some earned even more money than their husbands and helped provide for their families. They also played a significant role in shaping the society’s view of women; now, they were viewed not as the traditional women who were voiceless but as a more economically empowered category that could express their opinions. They promoted feminist views which were not popular at the time. The Gold Rush women also helped in bringing order to the chaotic community that they found in California. They were the civilizers of the society. Through their contribution, there was established a community that upheld morality.