Skip to Main Content
Digital Public Library of America
  • Home
  • Browse by Topic
  • Browse by Partner
  • Exhibitions
  • Primary Source Sets
  • My Lists
  • About DPLA
  • News
  • DPLA Pro
  • Home
  • Browse by Topic
  • Browse by Partner
  • Exhibitions
  • Primary Source Sets
  • My Lists
  • About DPLA
  • News
  • DPLA Pro
Primary Source Sets
California Gold Rush
A photograph of African American and white gold prospectors working together at Spanish Flat, California, 1852.

A photograph of African American and white gold prospectors working together at Spanish Flat, California, 1852.

Photographer Joseph Blaney Starkweather captured this scene at Spanish Flat, a mining community in El Dorado County, California. Starkweather was originally from the East Coast, but by the 1860s, he had established a photography studio in San Francisco.

At the outset of the Gold Rush, California’s African American community was small and, while African Americans did not constitute a large percentage of Gold Rush migrants, both free and formerly enslaved African Americans participated. Some enslaved African Americans were also brought to California by their fortune-seeking enslavers. African Americans in California often encountered virulent racism but, as this photograph indicates, the Gold Rush also provided opportunities for black and white prospectors to work side-by-side.

The sluice box pictured here was a popular tool for gold prospecting. It works by pouring water, or diverting water from a river or stream, through the long box. The flowing water then separates gold nuggets from other dirt and rocks by trapping them in the bottom of the box.

Show full description
Citation Information
Starkweather, Joseph B., “Spanish Flat, 1852,” Digital Public Library of America, https://dp.la/item/5c95a64ae569a2071d1bdf5a308f9ac7.
Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.
Courtesy of California State Library via California Digital Library.

Tips for Students

For this source, consider:

  • the author's point of view
  • the author's purpose
  • historical context
  • audience

Item 7 of 15 in the Primary Source Set California Gold Rush

Previous ItemNext Item
A map showing the gold mining region of California and routes for traveling there, 1849.
A print depicting a long line of men, women, and families waiting to depart for the gold regions of California, 1848.
An excerpt from A trip across the plains, and life in California by George Keller, 1851.
A letter from gold prospector Newton Chandler to his wife Jane after arriving in San Francisco, January 15, 1855.
A painting of California gold miners around a campfire, ca. 1850.
A portrait of surveyor Alonzo Doolittle posing with a bag of gold, ca. 1850.
A photograph of African American and white gold prospectors working together at Spanish Flat, California, 1852.
A photograph of a group of white and Chinese miners at a sluice box in Auburn Ravine, 1852.
A letter from Thornton McElroy to his wife Sarah about his gold mining experience since arriving in California, June 19, 1850.
An excerpt of a letter from Augustin Hibbard to his brother William about his early days in California and gold mining experience, September 4, 1850.
A map of the gold mining districts of California showing mining locations and Native American villages, 1850.
A print depicting a road scene in Gold Rush California, with Native Americans, Chinese immigrants, settlers, and gold prospectors, 1856.
A print of a bird’s eye view of the town of Columbia, California surrounded by images of the town’s major buildings, 1855.
An excerpt from Eldorado: or, Adventures in the Path of Empire by Bayard Taylor, originally published in 1850.
A satirical print depicting a ship departing with gold prospectors from California, 1849.

These sets were created and reviewed by teachers. Explore resources and ideas for Using DPLA's Primary Source Sets in your classroom.

To give feedback, contact us at info@dp.la. You can also view resources for National History Day.

DPLA

  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • How Can I Use DPLA?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Harmful Content
  • About DPLA
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • News

Tools

  • Primary Source Sets
  • Browse by Partner
  • Browse by Topic
  • Exhibitions
  • My Lists
  • Search

DPLA Pro

  • DPLA Pro Home
  • Prospective Hubs
  • Hub Network
  • Developers
  • Education
  • Projects
  • Ebooks
  • Events
Donate
DPLA Home
FacebookInstagramTwitter