3 routes to the California Gold Rush

1. Traveling to
the
California Gold

2. Gold was discovered in January 1848 at Sutter’s Mill
in Coloma, CA. News quickly spread about the
discovery, and by 1849 thousands of people began
the journey to California in search of fortune.
But how did they get there?

3. There were three main routes to the
California Gold Rush.
1) The Cape Horn Route
2) The Overland Route
3) The Isthmus of Panama Route

4. The Cape Horn Route
The Cape Horn Route
This was an overseas journey traveled by ships, such
as the sidewheeler ship shown below.
What do you know about sidewheeler ships?
Other ships like the square rigger relied on wind to
propel it towards their destination.

5. The Cape Horn Route Map
Ships departed from
East Coast cities, such
as Boston and New
York.
They journeyed south,
through the Atlantic
Ocean, along North
America. Then sailed
around the southern tip
of South America known
as Cape Horn.
What dangerous
shortcut was
occasionally taken on
this route?
Boston
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Rio de Janeiro
San Francisco
Cape Horn
Callao
New York
Straits of Magellan

6. The Cape Horn Route
Advantages
Advantages
Safest Route
This was considered the safest route. The majority of
men who traveled this route made it to San
Francisco alive.

7. The Cape Horn Route
Advantages
Advantages
Fewer Diseases
There was less risk of disease on this route than on the
other two routes.

8. The Cape Horn Route
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
Expensive
The ship routes
were very
expensive and
could cost
hundreds of
dollars.

9. The Cape Horn Route
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
Overbooked & Crowded
The ships were often overbooked leading to
crowded living spaces and overloaded boats.

10. The Cape Horn Route
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
Waves, Winds, & Cold
The most dangerous part of this route was nature. Huge
waves, strong winds, and freezing weather were all
risks for the travelers.

11. The Cape Horn Route
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
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Limited Food Variety & Rotten Food
It was hard to preserve food during this journey. Selection
was very limited and food spoiled quickly.

12. The Overland Route
The Overland Route
This route was traveled by wagon. They were pulled
by either mules or oxen. The most popular trail was
the Oregon Trail.

13. The Overland Route Map
Oxen or mule drawn
wagons started on the
westward trails in
Missouri and set out for
the San Francisco.
The usual route was the
Oregon Trail, which led
to the California Trail
and to the Gold Rush.
This route was 3,000
miles and took 4-6
months.
Boston
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Rio de Janeiro
San Francisco
Cape Horn
Callao
New YorkMissouri

14. The Overland Route
Advantages
Advantages
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Women and Children Could Go Too
The Overland Route offered a way for families to
make the trip to California. The ships were
considered too dangerous for women and children.

15. The Overland Route
Advantages
Advantages
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Less Expensive
This route was usually less expensive than the
ship routes, at least at the beginning of the trip.

16. The Overland Route
Advantages
Advantages
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Better Food Options
By traveling a land route, they were able to hunt
and fish for food along the way.

17. The Overland Route
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
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Disease
Sickness such as
cholera, mountain
fever, and
pneumonia took
many lives on this
route.

18. The Overland Route
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
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Mountains and Rivers
There were mountains and rivers to crossed in many
areas of the land journey. This was very difficult
with oxen, a wagon, and family.

19. The Overland Route
Disadvantages
Disadvantages
Accidents
Accidents often happened, such as broken wheel
axles, sick oxen, broken bones, and more.

20. The Panama Route
The Isthmus of Panama Route
This route was traveled by ship to Panama. This was
the shortest route, taking between 1-3 months to
complete.

21. The Panama Route Map
Ships set sail for
Panama from the East
Coast of the US.
When travelers arrived
in Panama, they canoed
up the Chagres River
for 75 miles.
Then they rode mules
for 25 miles through the
jungle to Panama City.
There they waited for a
ship to take them to San
Francisco.
Boston
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Rio de Janeiro
San Francisco
Cape Horn
Callao
Philadelphia
Panama

22. The Panama Route
Advantages
Panama Route - Advantages
Quickest Route
This was the fastest
route of all three.
Travelers could get
to California in the
half the time of the
other routes.

23. The Panama Route
Advantages
Panama Route - Advantages
Multiple Stops
Weary travelers
could take a
break from life at
sea and eat fresh
food as they
crossed Panama.

24. The Panama Route
Disadvantages
Panama Route - Disadvantages
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Diseases
There were numerous diseases in Panama, and they
took the lives of many passengers waiting to sail to
San Francisco. Diseases such as cholera, malaria,
yellow fever, and dysentery.

25. The Panama Route
Disadvantages
Panama Route Disadvantages
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Few Ships on the Other Side
Travelers were often left waiting a long time to sail
from the other side of Panama to San Francisco
because there weren’t enough ships coming to
take them.

26. Recap
So let’s recap……
How many main routes to the Gold
Rush were there?
What were they?
Tell a partner which route you
think is best.

27. Woo hoo1
It’s time for a project!!
Woo hoo!!