▁Company ' s ▁fur ▁trad ers ▁and ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les . ▁ ▁The ▁infl ux ▁of ▁prospect ors ▁included ▁numerous ▁European ▁Americans ▁and ▁African ▁Americans , ▁Brit ons , ▁Germ ans , ▁English ▁Canad ians , ▁Mar it im ers , ▁French ▁Canad ians , ▁Sc and in av ians , ▁It ali ans , ▁Bel gi ans ▁and ▁French , ▁and ▁other ▁European ▁eth nic ities , ▁Hawai ians , ▁Chinese , ▁Mex icans , ▁West ▁Indians , ▁and ▁others . ▁ ▁Many ▁of ▁those ▁first - ar riv ed ▁of ▁European ▁and ▁British ▁origin ▁were ▁Californ ian ▁by ▁culture , ▁and ▁this ▁included ▁Mar it im ers ▁such ▁as ▁Am or ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁and ▁others . ▁ ▁The ▁numbers ▁of ▁" Amer icans " ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush ▁must ▁be ▁understood ▁to ▁be ▁inher ently ▁European - eth nic ▁to ▁start ▁with . ▁ ▁Ang lo - American ▁Southern ers ▁and ▁New ▁England ers ▁were ▁well ▁represented . ▁Alfred ▁W adding ton , ▁an ▁entrepr ene ur ▁and ▁pam ph lete er ▁of ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush ▁later ▁inf am ous ▁for ▁the ▁dis astr ous ▁road - building ▁expedition ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁Ch il cot in ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁estimated ▁there ▁were ▁ 1 0 , 5 0 0 ▁min ers ▁on ▁the ▁F ras er ▁at ▁the ▁peak ▁of ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush . ▁ ▁This ▁estimate ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Y ale ▁area ▁and ▁did ▁not