Earlier California Gold Rush

[wkwillis]

The population of California was so low before the Gold Rush that the influx of prospectors would have crushed californio power without the US army to help.
So with no US annexation as a default condition, what happens to a California Free State with substantially more nonUS population.
Say, not just Mexicans and Chilenos and Chinese as the minorities, so many minorities that the US is unable to establish control.
Make the Gold Rush happen in 1828 instead of 1848, and then see how many people show up for the party.

 

[Othniel]

1830 Nicholas I of Russia ruthlessly repressed the insurrection in Poland

Thus come the Polish

1830 The Gran Colombia union collapsed and Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela became independent countries.

Thus come the Columbians, Venezuelans, and Ecuadorains.

1830 Jul 29, Liberals led by the Marquis of Lafayette seized Paris in opposition to the king’s restrictions on citizens’ rights.

A few more Frenchmen

1830 Aug 25, Belgium rebelled against Netherlands

A few more Dutch and Beligiums

1830 The non-Indian population of California was 4,256.

This stat is much higher.

And maybe a freed Slave nation....

 

[Grey Wolf]

The population of California was so low before the Gold Rush that the influx of prospectors would have crushed californio power without the US army to help.
So with no US annexation as a default condition, what happens to a California Free State with substantially more nonUS population.
Say, not just Mexicans and Chilenos and Chinese as the minorities, so many minorities that the US is unable to establish control.
Make the Gold Rush happen in 1828 instead of 1848, and then see how many people show up for the party.

OK, a major question is how does one get there ? In OTL the fact that the USA had just conquered New Mexico et al from Mexico meant that Americans could follow the trails across those territories to California. Another curious thing to note is that the US Army was faced by a lot of desertions in California as soldiers went off to try their hand - one thing which mitigated against this was the recruitment of Mormons who made good solid soldiers and were less attracted by avarice. Both these aspects makes the California of 20 years earlier likely to be vastly different - no easy access for Americans, and definite difficulties in whoever tries to maintain a disciplined army force.

Now, the political position of this area in 1828 needs to be considered. It is Mexican, but apart from a few major population centres (eg Monterrey) it is very sparsely populated. I am not sure of the dates of the Lewis and Clarke expedition and its follow-up of US expansion into Oregon, but its not being going on THAT long. Absent a major US presence then the other powers in the equation are Britain and Russia.

It is not THAT long since Russia in the guise of the Russian American Company had established bases in California and Hawaii. Economic reasons were the main cause of their eventual abandonment, but Russia retains a strong presence in the area, and although not a fighting navy it can certainly get around.

The question might well be WHO FINDS THE GOLD ? OTL it was an American immigrant IIRC. Here it is more likely to be a Mexican, since I rather get the feeling that the Native Americans knew there was gold around but were not that focused on it.

Grey Wolf

 

[wkwillis]

The easy way to get to California is ships. If you were a thousand miles from a port that wasn't loading cotton for Europe, then you would consider crossing the Rockies in a wagon. It's easier and cheaper to ship to California from Finland or China by sailboat than to walk to California from Mexico City. The practical way to get to California from Mexico City is to walk to the coast and hitch a ride on a sailboat the last thousand miles (to San Francisco).

 

[sunsurf]

How would the Opium Wars affect immigration from Asia?
What if the Chinese dynasty fell in the early 1800s and a civil war breaks out?

 

[JHPier]

IIRC (but this was along time ago and my memory is a bit fuzzy on this) when gold was found in 1848 a lot of Mexicans primarily from the northwest of the country rushed to California. But as soon as the 49'ers started arriving they found themselves sidelined and run out almost as soon as they had come.

But if gold was found earlier these Mexicans would have had a headstart over anyone else. California would have remained hispanophone. To the extent that it might have dissuaded the US from annexation?

 

[Grey Wolf]

The easy way to get to California is ships. If you were a thousand miles from a port that wasn't loading cotton for Europe, then you would consider crossing the Rockies in a wagon. It's easier and cheaper to ship to California from Finland or China by sailboat than to walk to California from Mexico City. The practical way to get to California from Mexico City is to walk to the coast and hitch a ride on a sailboat the last thousand miles (to San Francisco).

The way most people did it in 1848 was actually to take ship to Nicaragua, take the railway and then ship up the coast. But you don't have that in 1828 either. I'd forgotten about that.

Grey Wolf