Forty-Niners

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Forty-niner refers to the year 1849. Forty-niners are gold prospectors that came to California during the Gold Rush. The Forty-niners got to California by overland trails and ship. Many of the prospectors had never even left where they live there whole life until then. most of them traveled in covered wagons pulled by oxen or mule. Many of them feared attacks by Native Americans but that barely happened. instead the biggest killer was sickness. Prospectors who died on the trail were buried there.

How Forty-Niners Were Started
The gold rush stared on January 24, 1848 when James Marshall found gold in a stream. On August 19, 1848 the New York Harald was the first newspaper on the east coast to report that there was a gold rush in California.The high point of the gold rush came in 1849, that is why all the immigrants who came to America in search of gold are caled forty-niners.

The Oregon-California Trail
Most forty-niners coming to California in search of gold took this trail. This trail is the one where the forty niners traveled in covered wagons. They had to endure bad weather such as bad rain, violent thundrstorms, and scorching heat. Most forty-niners were killed by diseases such as cholera, mountain fever, and pneumonia. This journey was 3,000 miles and took three to seven months.

Around Cape Horn
This was probably the worst of the journeies. The boat that took this journey was called The Edward Everett. Some people got scurvy from the lack of vitamin C. The hardest part of the trip was to sail around the tip of the cape. On the tip were huge waves, very strong winds and frigid temperatures. This journey was 15,000 miles and four to eight months.

The Panama Shortcut
The Panama Shorcut was a shorter way to get to California than Around Cape Horn. It took 8,000 miles and months of travel off the trip around Cape Horn. Most of the people that took this journey died of disease. This journey was 7,000 miles and took two to three months.

What Happened to the Forty-Niners
Most forty-niners didn't find gold in California when they went there. The ones who did find gold were extremely rich. Some forty-niners died of scurvey because of lack of vitamin C. Some forty-niners built tents for shelter but others lived in mining towns which were very poular.