▁ 1 8 4 9 . ▁In ▁Ireland , ▁the ▁Great ▁Pot ato ▁Fam ine ▁was ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁mass ▁star v ation , ▁disease ▁and ▁em igration ▁between ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 2 ▁that ▁drove ▁many ▁des perate ▁women ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁on ▁to ▁California . ▁It ▁was ▁very ▁de press ing ▁and ▁very ▁disc ou rag ing . ▁ ▁Women ▁of ▁many ▁different ▁contin ents , ▁status es , ▁classes , ▁and ▁races ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁California ▁Gold ▁R ush . ▁The ▁fast - in cre asing ▁population ▁had ▁very ▁few ▁women ▁in ▁it ▁and ▁what ▁women ▁there ▁were ▁found ▁my ri ads ▁of ▁opportun ities . ▁As ▁word ▁of ▁the ▁gold ▁r ush ▁spread ▁so ▁did ▁the ▁word ▁of ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁women ' s ▁poor ▁gold fields ▁and ▁communities . ▁ ▁Women ▁going ▁to ▁California ▁to ▁re join ▁their ▁families ▁usually ▁had ▁their ▁pass ages ▁paid ▁for ▁by ▁min ers ▁or ▁business men ▁who ▁had ▁decided ▁to ▁make ▁California ▁their ▁new ▁home . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁had ▁originally ▁planned ▁to ▁get ▁their ▁gold , ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁homes ▁and ▁families , ▁and ▁enjoy ▁their ▁new ▁rich es . ▁Typ ically ▁women ▁eu ph em ist ically ▁l abeled ▁as ▁entertain ers ▁had ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁money ▁for ▁passage ▁but ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁they ▁showed ▁up ▁in ▁California ▁they ▁were ▁h ired ▁by ▁various ▁sal o ons , ▁g amb ling ▁h alls , ▁dance