Essential Question:
Overall, did the California Gold Rush have a positive or a negative effect on those involved?
Thesis Statement:
Multiple groups involved in the California Gold Rush, such as African Americans, Native Americans, Farmers, Chinese Immigrants, and Californios illustrate that the California Gold Rush had positive effects on some involved, while it had negative effects on others.
Summary:
It is not possible to categorize the California Gold Rush as "good" or "bad", but rather as beneficial to some groups and damaging to others. For some, it brought along opportunity and adventure, while others were dealt misfortune and despair. Analyzing different groups brought varying results. At the high end of the spectrum were the farmers and the African Americans, and at the low end were the Native Americans and the Californios. The Chinese Immigrants were at both ends of the spectrum. It is impossible to deem the California gold rush positive or negative because the impact it had on each group dramatically ranged.