Year |
Total California |
Indigenous California Indians |
Non-Indigenous Emigrants & Immigrants |
|||
|
Spanish- Speaking (1) |
US and Global (2) |
AfricanAmerican |
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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