Settlement of the Last Frontier

St. Louis

“Jumping-off” Point: Independence, Missouri

Great Plains

The journey starts with a long trek across the Great Plains region.

Chimney Rockalso modern day Nebraska

Scotts BluffNebraska again!

Independence Rock by July 4th

Devil’s GateWyoming

Shoshone FallsIdaho, known as the Niagara Falls of

the west

Three Island CrossingAlso in Idaho, by Snake River

They crossed the Rocky Mountains…

The a treacherous journey through the Rocky Mountains…

…and settled in Utah, Oregon, and California

Those who made it settled in Utah, Oregon, and California

How do I get to California?How do I get to California?

In the 1850s there were 3 ways to go:

1. Overland trails2. Sailing “around the horn”3. A sea-and-land voyage via the

“Panama Route”

Overland RouteOverland Route

•Shortest route•Most direct route•Cheapest way•Took 4 to 6 months•Most physically •exhausting way to travel

Cape Horn RouteCape Horn Route

•13,000 miles one way—NY to SF•More expensive than the overland route•Took 4 to 6 months or longer•Shortest route was 88 days by ship

Panama RoutePanama Route

•Most expensive•Steamship from New York to Panama•Board a train to cross the isthmus•Steamship north to San Francisco•Took 19 to 24 days

More about the Panama RouteMore about the Panama Route

•Between 1849 and 1869 about 640,000 people took this route•This was also the route used by the U.S. mail•Much of the gold mined in California was transported along the way

•This advertisement for a ship to California almost guaranteed gold!

S.S. Central America

More about the Panama RouteMore about the Panama Route

In 1848 James Marshall discovered gold at John Sutter’s mill in California.

Marshall and his partner Sutter tried to keep it a secret but…

The California Gold RushThe California Gold Rush

Wednesday, March 15, 1848Wednesday, March 15, 1848

GOLD FEVER!!!San Francisco’s newspaper, the

Californian had to stop publishing because its staff left to look for gold.

As the word spread, migration to California skyrocketed; San Francisco’s population exploded…

1000

35000

55000

0

20000

40000

60000

1848 1850 1855

population

population

Population of San Francisco, 1848-1855Population of San Francisco, 1848-1855

The prospectors who flocked to California in 1849, were called “Forty-niners.”

Boom TownsBoom Towns

Many believed that mining for gold would be easy….

But “striking it rich” depended on:

Ghost TownsGhost Towns

Political Effects on CaliforniaPolitical Effects on California

By 1849 California’s population exceeded 100,000 and they planned to apply for statehood.

What do you think were the issues surrounding statehood for California?

•The S.S. Central America•280-foot long steamship•Commanded by Captain •William Herndon of the •U.S. Navy

September 3, 1857September 3, 1857 HI FOLKS! I’LL BE

YOUR CAPTAIN FOR THIS VOYAGE

TO NEW YORK.

4:00 PM September 3, 18574:00 PM September 3, 1857•The S.S. Central America left Panama carrying 478 passengers, 101 crew members, and 3 TONS OF GOLD!!!

Oh no! We’re taking on water!!!!

Wednesday September 9, 1857Wednesday September 9, 1857•By Thursday, September 10th hurricane conditions were being felt onboard the S. S. Central America

•On Friday the 11th, the ship began to take on water and list to starboard.

Friday, September 11thFriday, September 11thSTART

BAILING MEN!

•10:00 am– the third officer raised the strongest sail on board, but it blew to pieces•By 3:00 PM the boilers go outAll men on board were ordered to help bail the ship

Saturday, September 12Saturday, September 12•12:00 pm the S.S. Marine was sighted on the horizon•The Marine came close to the Central America but the two ships drifted quickly apart•The captain ordered the lifeboats launched •100 women & children were transferred to the Marine

Launch the

Lifeboats!!!

EVERY MAN FOR

HIMSELF!!!!

8:00 pm8:00 pm

The ship sank and 478 men plunged into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

1:00 am September 13th1:00 am September 13th

•The Ellen began to rescue survivors•By 9:00 am they had saved 50 men.•9 days later 3 more men were found barely alive in one of the lifeboats that had drifted away from the Marine and been discovered by the desperate men•425 men were never found

Columbus-America Discovery GroupColumbus-America Discovery Group

•Founded by Tommy Thompson in 1986•Set out to find the USS Central America•On September 11, 1988 the crew located the wreck on the ocean floor

GOLD!!!GOLD!!!

The Gold was found in 3 forms:

1.Dust and nuggets

2.Coins 3.Ingots

Dust and NuggetsDust and Nuggets

•Gold dust served as currency•Likely carried by the poorer passengers•Nuggets ranged in size from a fingertip to fist-sized

CoinsCoins•Private coin

companies produced coins of various sizes and denominations.•Later, the government standardized coins.

IngotsIngots

•The preferred type of gold for banks and the U.S. govt.

•Ranged from small pocket sized to a massive 64 pounds

Time CapsulesTime Capsules

•Thousands of personal possessions•Passenger trunks•Clothes•Tools•Letters•Jewelry•Photos

This trunk belonged to John DementThis trunk belonged to John Dement

So….who deserves to keep the gold?So….who deserves to keep the gold?

•The recovery ship and its crew

•The insurance company from the 1800s (still existed)

•The heirs of the passengers and crewmembersHomework: Answer in one hearty paragraph