Process Paper
My topic is how the Gold Rush influenced the diversity of the U.S today. The Gold Rush was an essential part to not only the diversity of California but also to the United States as a whole.
I found information about the Chinese in the Harvard database as well as other races. But I was still curious about other races. This idea led me to the University of California database. This is one of my favorite sources because it shows how the many different races worked together to get the job done. In the University of California article, Canadian Merchant named William Perkins describe racial equality in the gold rush. The Gold Rush seemed to be a turning point in racial equality. Although there were still many cases of discrimination, the Gold Rush still lifted a barrier in social equality. I found this source with many first-hand accounts of Asian Americans in the Gold Rush. This will be very helpful because it shows many perspectives of the Gold Rush. I found a scholarly journal on the racial diversity of California. This shows how diverse America was at this time. I found a thesis by Wesleyan College. It showed me that African Americans had more freedom in California because there weren’t as many barriers. Although the area was so diverse, the area was united by a common goal, which was a new life by finding gold. Then I wanted to figure out the life of Native Americans. I found out that they were persecuted and did not have many rights at this time. I needed to learn about economic benefits, which led me to PBS. I found many stories about successes in small businesses. I found information about James K. Polk when looking for at government.
Thesis: “In the mid-19th century, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill near San Francisco which caused a frenzy from around the world to come to California. The California Gold Rush was a place where many young prospectors came together and began the search for gold and a new life. There were also many people who brought change to California racially, politically, and economically. Accordingly, the many changes in this short period of time led to a turning point that affected all aspects of California, which ultimately led to the California and America that we have today.” At this time when gold was discovered, California was Mexican territory. Many came in bunches to try to strike it rich. My argument is that the California Gold Rush influenced the all aspects of America today. America is viewed as one of the diverse and equal countries in the entire world. This had to start somewhere. Also I talked about how the Gold Rush changed California’s government. It went from having a Mexican to an American government. It also contributed to the Civil War. I also talked about how the Gold Rush influenced today’s small businesses. We still see the effects of small business to this day. (498 words)
I found information about the Chinese in the Harvard database as well as other races. But I was still curious about other races. This idea led me to the University of California database. This is one of my favorite sources because it shows how the many different races worked together to get the job done. In the University of California article, Canadian Merchant named William Perkins describe racial equality in the gold rush. The Gold Rush seemed to be a turning point in racial equality. Although there were still many cases of discrimination, the Gold Rush still lifted a barrier in social equality. I found this source with many first-hand accounts of Asian Americans in the Gold Rush. This will be very helpful because it shows many perspectives of the Gold Rush. I found a scholarly journal on the racial diversity of California. This shows how diverse America was at this time. I found a thesis by Wesleyan College. It showed me that African Americans had more freedom in California because there weren’t as many barriers. Although the area was so diverse, the area was united by a common goal, which was a new life by finding gold. Then I wanted to figure out the life of Native Americans. I found out that they were persecuted and did not have many rights at this time. I needed to learn about economic benefits, which led me to PBS. I found many stories about successes in small businesses. I found information about James K. Polk when looking for at government.
Thesis: “In the mid-19th century, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill near San Francisco which caused a frenzy from around the world to come to California. The California Gold Rush was a place where many young prospectors came together and began the search for gold and a new life. There were also many people who brought change to California racially, politically, and economically. Accordingly, the many changes in this short period of time led to a turning point that affected all aspects of California, which ultimately led to the California and America that we have today.” At this time when gold was discovered, California was Mexican territory. Many came in bunches to try to strike it rich. My argument is that the California Gold Rush influenced the all aspects of America today. America is viewed as one of the diverse and equal countries in the entire world. This had to start somewhere. Also I talked about how the Gold Rush changed California’s government. It went from having a Mexican to an American government. It also contributed to the Civil War. I also talked about how the Gold Rush influenced today’s small businesses. We still see the effects of small business to this day. (498 words)