Lawlessness

Question 1

what was the main reason for lawlessness

Answer 1

• Mass migration & settlement of migrants in search of gold + a more prosperous life –> leading to a rapid increase in California’s population from 8,000 in 1846 to 300,000 in 1855
• Mining camps grew up in days –> too fast for official state for federal law enforcement systems to be enforced

Question 2

what was the population increase of California from 18__ to 18__

Answer 2

1846 to 1855
8,000 to 300,000

Question 3

what were the problems / consequences that arose from lawlessness (5)

Answer 3

• New crimes - ‘claim jumping’ (if a claim looked promising, other men often tried to steal it) . Mining camps followed Californian law about staking a claim - fair amount of land given to each prospector + own any gold he found there
• ‘Salting a claim’ - illegal methods = scattering a few flakes of gold on worthless claims then conning an inexperienced migrant to buy it
• Road agents - gangs of criminals who waited in isolated spot along roads to rob prospectors
• social factors (e.g. alcohol, gambling and prostitution) - often carried guns = violence was threat to others in the camp
• Racists tensions / violent towards immigrants of different ethnicities

Question 4

what were the common issues associated with lawlessness?

Answer 4

• Mining camps were usually isolated in the mountains, a long way from the reach of the law
• prejudice against Chinese immigrants and other racism increased crime
  -mining camps were almost all-male, and violence was fuelled by alcohol, bad luck at card games and fights over women

Question 5

in which year did San Francisco’s population explode and by how much

Answer 5

1849 : 1,000 to 25,000

Question 6

why did San Francisco quickly filled with unemployed disappointed migrants?

Answer 6

very few prospectors found gold

Question 7

why did racial tensions increase?

Answer 7

because more Chinese immigrants came to the city

Question 8

what had happened regarding gangs by 1851

Answer 8

ganged formed + out of control –> few local policemen were unable to cope (gangs bribed them)
- murder, violent, theft were commonplace

Question 9

why were vigilance committee set up?

Answer 9

because there was no effective law enforcement available to control the gang violence of 185

Question 10

where did the idea of vigilance committees spread to?

Answer 10

mining camps

Question 11

when was the famine in China

Answer 11

1852

Question 12

what did the famine in China cause

Answer 12

huge increase of Chinese migrants to California: from 2,000 in 1851 to 20,000 in 1852

Question 14

what were miner’s courts ?

Answer 14

miners set up their own courts to settle disputes over . camp usually selected a respected older miner to be the judge