In the second half of the 19th century, many people rushed to California, including the Anglo-Saxons. We can say that California was entering an era of “Anglo-Saxon hegemony”. In this article, I intend to discuss why they traveled to California, how they met, their remarkable success, and the role of sex and gender in helping these newcomers take control of California. During the Mexican era (before the Mexican-American War), trade and the lure of land attracted Anglo-Americans to California. After gaining independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico (including California) reformed Spanish trade laws. The leather and tallow trade was very profitable and dominated the California Mexican economy. According to Albert L. Hurtado, she made "a profit large enough to attract Yankee investors and competitors from the United States and England" (Hurtado, 23). Additionally, the Californios were so land rich because of the new transfer of ownership created by the government. This irresistibly attractive trade and land almost induced Anglo-Americans to convert to Catholics and marry California women. One of them was Alfred Robinson, a native of Massachusetts, who sailed for California in 1829. His material reasons seemed obvious. Additionally, his marriage to Dona Anita, a girl from an elite family, could secure land holdings and enhance his social status, allowing him to become part of the nobility. Inside, the desire to control herds - an essential resource in California was the gathering place for American trappers, horse thieves, Mexican soldiers and rancheros. Sutter's connection to an Indian woman (p. 39) Some women came to California with their husbands and children. Men thought about adventure...... middle of paper...... controversial history. They sometimes saw implications of race and gender in their stories. Harte ventured to California in 1854, working briefly in the mines, but later decided to become a writer. He thrived here. According to Hurtado, "gold rush stories like 'The Luck of Roaring Camp' and 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' were bestsellers that brought Harte to the favorable attention of Eastern critics as well as Western readers » (Hurtado, 137). Mark Twain ventured to California in 1861 where he continued his career as a journalist. He wrote about women's dress. Ambrose Bierce was the last to come to California. He was not only attracted to the local color of California and the recent gold rush, but also to a history of interracial and gender. His bitter story, The Haunted Valley, “captured some of the cold truths that most Californians wanted to ignore.” (Hurtado 140)