Saloons and Brothels

Saloons
  • In CA, miners who had just struck it rich wanted to celebrate
  • Only places of entertainment were saloons
  • Saloons gave miners an entertaining and lively place to drink, gamble
Brothels
  • Brothels often combined with saloons
  • In CA during Gold Rush, 90% of population was male
  • Men desired female interaction, drove demand for brothels
  • Men sometimes paid just to play cards with women, be in their company
An artist's depiction of a saloon in Gold Rush California
Thesis