Population of San Francisco, 1848–1870

Question

Date Population
April 1848 850
July 1849 5,000
December 1849 25,000
1850 21,000
1852 36,151
1860 56,802
1870 149,473
Question
Use the chart to answer the question.
Using the information on the chart, what can you infer about the Gold Rush’s impact on the city of San Francisco?

(1 point)
Responses

San Francisco’s population grew by a greater percentage after 1860 than during the Gold Rush.
San Francisco’s population grew by a greater percentage after 1860 than during the Gold Rush.

The Gold Rush was a short-lived trend that had little lasting impact on San Francisco.
The Gold Rush was a short-lived trend that had little lasting impact on San Francisco.

Once the forty-niners tried their luck in San Francisco they left the city and moved back home.
Once the forty-niners tried their luck in San Francisco they left the city and moved back home.

The mass migration of forty-niners transformed San Francisco into an economic hub practically overnight.

Answer 1

The most accurate inference based on the population data is:

The mass migration of forty-niners transformed San Francisco into an economic hub practically overnight.

This is supported by the dramatic increase in population from April 1848, when there were only 850 residents, to December 1849, when the population skyrocketed to 25,000. This rapid growth indicates that the Gold Rush had a significant and immediate impact on the city, establishing it as a major destination for those seeking fortune and contributing to its transformation into an economic center.