. People |
The population of Indians dropped from 150,000 to 30,000 in the 12 years after the discovery of gold. The Indians lost their land, villages were burned, and many families were murdered. Fish that lived in the lakes and streams were killed by various mining methods used that polluted the water. Diseases were brought by the miners from all over the world that killed many Indians.
Migrants felt there were two types of Indians. One that was like wild, dangerous animals and one that was tame and useful. This type was hired and treated much like slaves to work the mines. They were paid with food and clothing.
There were Indians that did prospecting but when they cashed in their gold, the white man often cheated them. The influence of the white man ruined the Indian’s way of life. The U.S. government didn’t know what to do with them. Eventually, many were killed by the white man or sent to reservations.
Read about other people associated with the Gold Rush:
Blacks
Chinese
James Marshall