Resource 6-1a: California Population by Ethnic Groups, 1790-1880

Year

Total

California

Indigenous

California Indians

Non-Indigenous Emigrants & Immigrants
     

Spanish-

Speaking (1)

US and

Global (2)

African

American

Chinese

1790

300,100

300,000

100

     

1821

Population mainly Indian and Mexicans

1849

100,000

1845-

150,000 (4)

!848-

14,000

81,000

1,000

0

1850

92,597*

(4)

25,000

 

2,500

600

1852

260,000

24,000

     

25,000

1860

379,994

         

1870

560,247

30,000

       

1880

864,694

         

*1859 census records for San Francisco were destroyed by fire.  Census redone in 1852.

(1)  Spanish-speaking includes Spanish, Mexican, Chilean, Peruvian and Californios.

(2)  US citizens emigrated from eastern states.  “Global” includes immigrants from England, Hawaii, Germany, France, Russia, Holland, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Bavaria, and Scandinavia (Danes, Finns, Norwegians and Swedes to name a few).

(3)  African Americans were represented in the California area from the beginning of the Spanish invasion.  By 1790 several were included in the founding families.  It is estimated that approximately 1% of the population of California were African American between 1847-1852, with 40% residing in the cities and the remained in the gold fields and camps.  In the late 1840s blacks came as freemen from the Northern states or as slaves with their slave-state owner.  Many slaves managed to buy their freedom by mining gold or “Mining the Miners.”  Slaves were probably not included in the population count.

(4) Not included in the population count.

Part 1, Resource 6-1a, Myth and Reality: The California Gold Rush and Its Legacy, Grade Four, Volume 2

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