United States History Student Edition

A

B

Claiming Native American Lands Shortly after discovering gold, James Marshall and John Sutter tried to work out a lease agreement with the local Native Americans. They intended to gain legal control of the entire Coloma Valley before anyone learned of the gold. Sutter sent the lease document to Colonel R. B. Mason, the military governor of California, for his approval. This letter is Mason’s response. PRIMARY SOURCE: LETTER “ I last evening received your letter of the 22d February, together with the lease to certain lands on the waters of the “American fork,” a tributary of the Sacramento, made by certain Indians of the Yalesummy tribe to yourself and Mr. James W. Marshall. The United States do not recognize the right of Indians to sell or lease the lands on which they reside. . . . [A]fter the war, . . . should the United States extinguish the Indian titles to these lands, . . . they are at once a part of the public domain. ” — from Executive Documents Printed by Order of the Senate of the United States, (First Session, 31st Congress, 1849–1850) EXAMINE THE SOURCE 1. Interpreting How did Mason respond to Sutter’s request? 2. Drawing Conclusions How does Mason’s final sentence about the public domain explain the government’s position on Native American land rights?

Coming to San Francisco When Jessie Benton Frémont first arrived in

San Francisco for an extended visit in June 1848, she had no knowledge of the discovery of gold on John Sutter’s property. But soon Frémont would see the results of the Gold

Rush. By August, 4,000 prospectors had shown up in California. Frémont kept a journal during her time in California. PRIMARY SOURCE: MEMOIR “ We went into San Francisco shortly before the [September] rainy season—about three months after I had first seen it. Already it was changed out of recognition by the crowds of people added, and the buildings which had gone up. Houses were rapidly going up for the winter; night and day and Sundays the sounds of hammers never ceased. Ready-made houses were to be had, and some very pretty little ones from China. One of these was bought and put up for me. . . . Forty-eight hours at the chief hotel had convinced us that it was neither a pleasant nor safe place for a lady. . . . Our little house had but two rooms, but they were large and clean, and we had what were luxuries—a wood fire burning in front of the cottage, and clean food well cooked. ” — from A Year of American Travel EXAMINE THE SOURCE 1. Interpreting What details does Frémont share that tell you how quickly San Francisco grew during this time? 2. Inferring From the passage, what can you infer about how the Gold Rush affected the economy?

PHOTO: North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy Stock Photo; TEXT: (l)Mason, R.B. “Letter to J.A. Sutter, March 5, 1848.” In United States Senate. Senate Documents, Otherwise Publ. as Public Documents and Executive Documents: 14th Congress, 1st Session-48th Congress, 2nd Session and Special Session, Volume 9. Washington: Wm. M. Belt, 1850; (r)Frémont, Jessie Benton. A year of American travel. New York, Harper & brothers, 1878. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/18002864/

346