Women in the Gold Rush
1848-1855
The Role Women Played in the California Gold Rush
Women were important in the Gold Rush, just as men were. Women held various roles such as single entrepreneurs, married women, widowed women, and prostitutes.
Mining Camps
Women & children populated many mining camps, such as the camp in this photograph.
Women's Rights
Because women weren't allowed to vote until the 1900's, women still protested during this time.
Men & Women
As seen in this photo, women were also found in mining camps with men - not only children and other women.
The Role Women Played in the California Gold Rush (cont.)
Contrary to popular belief, men weren't the only gold miners; women often times were found panning for gold alongside the men and children.
Work other than Mining
Women often dud work such as grinding corn, as seen in the picture.
Life on the Frontier
This picture shows a family of men and women that lived on the frontier. On the frontier, women often had to make soap, tend a garden, and sew/repair clothes.
Klondike Gold Rush vs. California Gold Rush
While the Klondike Gold Rush (1896 - 1899) took place later than the California Gold Rush, the role women played in both gold rushes were VERY similar. It was difficult to find information/videos about women in the California Gold Rush, but from what I've read, the women of the Klondike Gold Rush were so similar, I thought I'd just use a video dealing with the Klondike Gold Rush.
Widowed Women
To be a widowed woman means to have lost your husband and not remarry. Because mining was a dangerous thing, women in the Gold Rush were often times widows. Some, though, decided to remarry within a short period of time. Some women would loose their husband one day and remarry the next day.
Marriage
Because there was not a large number, in population, of women in the California Gold Rush, different things such as parental approval and economic concerns were not as important in getting engaged. Because California had such a diverse population, mixed race marriages were a lot more common.
Overall...
In conclusion, women played a large role in westward expansion. Women fulfilled many responsibilities, such as taking care of their families by performing household duties, helping out on the farm, and mining/panning gold in mining camps with other men and children. While people may automatically think that older men were the only ones that impacted westward expansion, women and children played a role of equal or greater importance.