▁Some ▁of ▁California ’ s ▁sex ▁workers ▁were ▁indent ured ▁Chinese ▁women , ▁econom ically ▁and ▁soci ally ▁opp ress ed ▁Lat ina ▁women , ▁or ▁kid n apped ▁and ▁ens la ved ▁white ▁women . ▁From ▁ 1 8 4 8 ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 5 0 s , ▁sex ▁workers ▁experienced ▁an ▁un pre ced ented ▁asc ension ▁in ▁power ▁and ▁a ▁rapid ▁fall ▁from ▁grace ▁as ▁more ▁‘ ’ res pect able ’ ’ ▁women ▁and ▁their ▁families ▁came ▁to ▁California . ▁Many ▁sex ▁workers ▁were ▁ill iter ate ▁and ▁signed ▁contract s ▁with ▁dub ious ▁leg ality ▁with ▁an ▁X . ▁As ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁sex ▁workers ▁multip lied ▁prices ▁went ▁down ▁and ▁it ▁became ▁harder ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁living . ▁As ▁sex ▁work ▁became ▁illegal , ▁it ▁was ▁often ▁necessary ▁to ▁b ri be ▁the ▁local ▁police ▁to ▁continue ▁to ▁operate . ▁ ▁Some ▁women , ▁like ▁Ah ▁Toy ▁and ▁Belle ▁C ora ▁gained ▁power ▁and ▁wealth ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁days ▁by ▁becoming ▁successful ▁mad ams ▁and ▁operating ▁bro th els . ▁Toy , ▁alleg edly ▁the ▁first ▁Chinese ▁sex ▁worker ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁opened ▁a ▁string ▁of ▁bro th els ▁and ▁used ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁court ▁system ▁to ▁protect ▁herself ▁and ▁her ▁business es . ▁C ora , ▁a ▁cl erg yman ' s ▁daughter , ▁operated ▁a ▁bro th el ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁that ▁" of fer ed ▁the ▁hands om est ▁and ▁most ▁skill ful ▁girls ,