Imagine a situation where hundreds of thousands of mostly young men traveled thousands of miles to a far away desolate place to make their fortunes panning for gold. This place was so remote and unfriendly that they chose not to bring their wives, if they were married.
It is said that nearly 200,000 men came to California to mine for gold from 1849 to 1852. The California State Census of 1852 reveals 20,000 women were living in California. By any standard, this is a disparate statistic.
The numbers for San Francisco were comparable with regard to the ratio of men to women living in California. The total population of San Francisco exploded from 200 in 1846 to 36,000 in 1852. Annuls conflict since some said the ration of men to women was 50:1, but others said the ratio was as high as 70:1 in 1849. No use splitting hairs. The ratio was untenable.
Another interesting circumstance was evident in the socio-economic picture in California. Some of the Argonauts seeking their fortune succeeded. Some became immensely wealthy, some gained impressive wealth, others found a way to make a living from the burgeoning economy created by shear numbers of hungry folks living in an economically deprived place. This is particularly true of San Francisco,
Business boomed in San Francisco. Housing, food, booze, gambling, the need for all kinds of equipment became the path for wealth accumulation beyond those seeking the “Yellow Metal”.
One very basic law of economics deals with supply and demand. When a commodity or service is in short supply, the void will be filled in direct proportion to its need. Prices will rise accordingly.
There were obviously “Californiaro”, Mexican, other Hispanic and Indigenous women living in California well before the “Gold Rush”. Enterprising Anglo women rushed in from many parts of the world when the news broke of gold discovery. Since San Francisco was the most likely point of entry into California, women graced The City with their presence.
The vast majority of women disembarking in San Francisco sought employment as prostitutes. The lure of gold dust and a large number of men bereft of female companionship made for easy pickin’s. It may surprise you that fees for services rendered often exceeded $600 per night. On some occasions, fees were multiple times that!
Ironically, the perfect storm of a vast imbalance of men and women and presence of incredible wealth, along with the attitude of most men that they were only going to stay in California until they struck it rich made for a unique position for the women who made the arduous trip to California. The women who practiced the oldest profession, in California, were treated very differently than where they came from.
It was not uncommon for ladies of the night to marry a patron. As you would expect, these ladies would frequently marry into wealth and prominence. Such a union would always elevate the position of the wife. Consequently, many of the most respected families were created by such a bond.
A famous bit of doggerel of the day was.”The miners came in ’49, the whores in ’51. And when they got together, they produced the native son.”
My novel Equal and Alike explores the life of women in San Francisco at mid-19 Century. Come join me in the adventure. It can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, and other fine bookstores.