Chileans in the California gold rush: Difference between revisions

Chilean miners were among the first to respond to the California Gold Rush with the first group arriving by sea in 1848.^[1][2] Chileans came mainly from mining districts in northern Chile,^[3] and were often skilled miners –in difference to the bulk of the arrivals to California.^[5][6] This made Chileans relatively well-prepared for mining influencing practises in California by –among other things– introducing the mining technology to California such as the gold pan, then made of wood, and the trapiche which became known as the Chilean mill.^[5][6] Many Euroamericans (Anglos) were indebted to Chileans who tought them the basics of the mining trade.^[6] In contrast to Anglos Chileans tended to work less individually and more cooperatively something that facilitated certain types of mining endeavours.^[5] Over-all Chileans were more succesfull than Euroamerican miners causing a negative campaign against them in the press.^[6] A Chilean practise that was much resented was for Chilean companies to make claims in the names of their “peons” something Euroamericans equated with using slaves to make claims.^[6] In some accounts the success of Chileans miners were exagerated to make the claim large ammounts of gold was being shipped out to Chile.^[6] Success among Chileans in California was not universal and some returned early on due to financial failure.^[5]

In California the term Chilean garnered a wider meaning often including any Spanish-speaking non-European nationality and usually associated with a “bronze-coloured” skin tone.^[5] As such many Mexicans and Peruvians were branded “Chilean”.^[5] Reportedly this branding was due to Chilean’s high visibility due to their tendency to assume leadership in groups of Spanish-speaking immigrants.^[5]

Among the Chileans who embarked to California was Vicente Pérez Rosales who wrote extensively about it contrasting aspects of the North American society with the Chilean one.^[7] The Californian writings of Pérez Rosales were published in various forms having a lasting impact discourses about Chilean identity.^[7] The extent of immigration caused concern about a purported shortage of skilled labour in Chile and the issue was discussed in the Congress of Chile.^[5] The emigration of Chileans to California happened at the same time as trade relations between Chile and California greatly expanded with Chile supplying California with large amounts of wheat.^[5][8]

After the initial boom had ended Chileans were among the groups that suffered explicitly anti-foreign and racist attacks, laws and confiscatory taxes sought to drive out foreigners—in addition to Native Americans—from the mines.^[9][10] There are records of Chileans resisting this treatment both by legal means and by the use of violence.^[11] Spanish-speaking miners, including Peruvians and Mexicans tended to group together and commonly Chileans to take leadership in these groups, specially when they had to confront groups of “Anglo” miners.^[5]

In January 1850 Chileans who had attacked in retaliation a mining camp in Calaveras causing the death of two miners were serverily punished. Three were executed, nine received 100 lashes each and one was cropped.^[11] The severity of these punishment stand out as corporal punishment including maiming were otherwise in decline in the Western world.^[11]

Anti-Chilean sentiment was appear to have largely dissipated by 1851 or 1852.^[6]
Some Chileans resisted the initial wave of attacks and hostile legislation and became established settlers opening new mines like Black Diamind Mine in 1856.^[6]