rate the internal struggle which people experienced. This is especially true of the writing by women of the time. It is a long held myth that the gold rush was almost completely male. Yet, most trail diaries mention the presence of women.4 Still, they were quite a minority. The 1860 census reveals that in San Francisco that year, men outnumbered women three to two. Lopsided though this ratio may be, there were enough women in California to have quite an influence, and perhaps they struggled even more with their new freedom than the men. More restraint was expected from women, and it was their duty to keep their husbands and children proper. How they chose to deal with their new surroundings would have greatly impacted their families. Women offer an interesting perspective, as women were traditionally the epitomes of Victorian morality. Historian Lillian Schlissel writes that unlike the men, ...women did not always see the venture in the clear light of the expectation of success. There were often shadows in their minds, dark areas of reservation.5 Women usually had little say in the matter of going West; therefore, it is logical that they would see things in a different light than their adventure seeking husbands. Still, many women were able to see the positive aspects of California, if not immediately. Through her research, Christine Fischer found that most women did have a troublesome time adjusting to California life. However, they gradually grew adjusted to the social climate and some even took advantage of it.6. She writes, Quite a few emerge as strong willed women who knew what they wanted and found some means of obtaining it.7 Unlike the men, women would have experienced little or no autonomy before coming to California. Thus, it is amazing they had the ability to adjust to their new lifestyles. Many writings reveal women stretched between restriction and freedom and burdened by the resulting contradiction. C...
