or ni os , ▁who ▁already ▁lived ▁in ▁California , ▁ ▁Native ▁American ▁women , ▁and ▁rapidly ▁arriv ing ▁imm igr ant ▁women ▁from ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁world . ▁▁▁ ▁At ▁first , ▁ ▁the ▁numbers ▁of ▁imm igr ant ▁women ▁were ▁scar ce , ▁but ▁they ▁contributed ▁to ▁their ▁community ▁non eth eless . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁min ing ▁fields ▁were ▁w ives ▁and ▁families ▁who ▁were ▁already ▁in ▁California . ▁A ▁few ▁sett ler ▁women ▁and ▁k ids ▁and ▁the ▁few ▁men ▁who ▁didn ' t ▁leave ▁their ▁family ▁worked ▁right ▁alongside ▁the ▁men ▁but ▁most ▁men ▁who ▁arrived ▁left ▁their ▁w ives ▁and ▁families ▁home . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁women ▁in ▁California ▁changed ▁very ▁quickly ▁as ▁the ▁rich ▁gold ▁strik es ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁women ▁created ▁strong ▁press ures ▁in ▁the ▁new ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁communities ▁to ▁restore ▁sex ▁balance . ▁As ▁travel ▁arrang ements ▁improved ▁and ▁were ▁made ▁easier ▁and ▁more ▁predict able ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁women ▁coming ▁to ▁California ▁rapidly ▁increased . ▁Most ▁women ▁probably ▁came ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁Pan ama ▁as ▁this ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fast est ▁tri ps ▁( 4 0 – 9 0 ▁days ) ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁reliable — although ▁expensive ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 -- $ 4 0 0 – $ 6 0 0 / person ▁one - way . ▁Pass age ▁via ▁Pan ama ▁became ▁much ▁more ▁predict able ▁after ▁the ▁p addle ▁wheel ▁steam ▁ship ▁lines ▁were ▁up ▁and ▁running ▁by ▁late