ABSTRACT
Gold Rush migration makes a good case study. A quantitative approach to this migration is possible because of the existence of sources of unusual quality, French passengers lists. Pioneer Frenchmen of the Gold Rush were more educated, more likely to have some capital, and also more mature than most immigrants. The Gold Rush is a turning point in the history of emigration from France. Contrary to the mythical and popular image of the French in the Gold Rush, adventurers, soldiers of fortune, and prostitutes - although high in profile - actually comprised a very small minority. The lack of passport designation of a specific French county of origin does not imply that nobody born in that county left for California; rather, it often reflects the fact that the migrant had first migrated within France, and only later asked for a passport to a foreign county.
