The California Gold Rush

It is well known that industrialization in America started in the east. However, the gold rush was the reason why California industrialized much faster than the east. With the technological improvements, that the gold rush demands it helped California industrialize much faster. James Marshall first discovered gold on January 24 1848 on the south fork of the American river. A not so well know part of California history is that James Marshall was not the first person to discover gold in California. Francisco Lopez was the first documented gold rush in California. It is less know because right after Lopez had discovered gold the war between Mexico and US had begun. Moreover, like everyone knows Mexico lost and lost California and other territory to the US. After James Marshall had found gold and after everyone had started to hear the news, few people started rushing to the minefields. The gold rush fever had not started yet because many people were hesitant. It wasn’t until president, President Polk at that time, confirmed that there really was gold found in California after the announcement by Polk was heard. Massive amount of people from all over the world rushed to California. States were not the first to hear about the news. Actually, people in Hawaii were the first to find out. As trading ships were leaving the San Francisco port on their trips across the pacific. Was when the Hawaii found out about the news? When the states

It was day of Jan 24th 1948, James Marshall was building a new sawmill for John Sutter in South Fork of American river near Coloma valley.He spotted some flecks of shiny pebbles.His eyes sparkled when he discovered that it was gold.

There was many challenges individuals faced such as harsh punishments for stealing a miner’s gold, or someone else’s gold. If a miner’s piece of gold was stolen or someone decided to claim the miner’s gold then that person would

The California Gold Rush almost did not happen. In his 1848 report to the adjutant-general at Washington, DC, Col. Richard Barnes Mason wrote a worker was checking the strong flow of water in a stream near a saw mill he was building. James Marshall noticed a few glittering particles in the mud that had accumulated. He collected and examined a few of them and, satisfied with their value, brought them to Captain John Sutter, owner of the land where the saw mill was to be built. They agreed to keep their discovery secret for a while but word soon spread and quickly hundreds and then thousands of miners flooded to the mines seeking instant wealth. Only three months after the discovery, it was estimated about four thousand workers were employed mining gold in the region (personal communication, August 17, 1848).

Not long after the gold was discovered, Sam Brannan rode from Sutter's Fort and started shouting in the middle of the street, "Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!" His proclamation started a stampede and fever for gold that nearly depopulated the city. People from different places came in search of gold, they left their farms, trading posts, and even deserted ships.

Gibbs, William. "California Gold Rush (1848–1858)." Open Collections Program: Immigration to the US, California Gold Rush, 1848-1858. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2013.

The California gold rush began when a gold nugget was uncovered in the American River during 1848. Not only did this discovery entice Americans from all over the United States to travel to California in hopes of making their own profit, but it also brought a torrent of Chinese immigrants to the United States between 1849 and 1882. At the time of the gold rush, China's economy was very weak. There were wars and famines occurring. When news of the gold rush reached China, many Chinese men set out to America with hopes of gaining wealth and returning back to their homes. “After the gold rush, Chinese immigrants worked as agricultural laborers, on railroad construction crews throughout the West, and in low-paying industrial jobs” (Chinese Immigration to the United States - For Teachers). Some even opened their own businesses.

The California Gold Rush was a period of time when thousands of people from all over the world came to California for gold, some were lucky, most were not. California was owned by Mexico 1600-1846. Mexico soon allowed the U.S. to have California as it’s own state, and that is when they found the gold. The California Gold Rush was a difficult time with the challenges people faced traveling to California, the way the Forty-Niners lived, and the way they used the gold.

“My eye was caught with the glimpse of something shining at the bottom of the ditch” - James Marshall. The California Gold Rush officially went into full motion on January 24th of 1848. Although many events contributed to or caused the California Gold Rush, the most important events were the Westward Expansion, the discovery of gold, and immigration for work. The Westward Expansion contributed to the development of the California Gold Rush by having the Oregon Trail is one of the trails opened. By the Oregon Trail, most people were roaming along other paths such as the California Trail and others that came to be during the 1840’s. The Westward Expansion was also a way for families to move along in order to start a new phase in their lives. Another pivotal event was the discovery of gold. It led to several immigrants not only local but several from Peru, Australia, China, etc. This also created job opportunities. In addition, immigration contributed to the Gold Rush by as said before several immigrants from around the world coming. Mining also became a large job. Not only for the hunt for gold but for other natural resources such as silver, copper, and oil. These three events contributed to the mass migrations and large

Gold was found in the capital of California today Sacramento also called the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 to around 1857. The Mexican province governor gave John Sutter 50,000 acres of land to make a place his was going to call New Switzerland this land stretched from the Sacramento and the American Rivers (“Gold Rush”). John Sutter the owner of the new asked a man by the name of James Marshall to help him build a sawmill that would be located 50 miles east on Sutter's land. (Blashfield 1). So Marshall and his men went to work when Sutter came by to check the progress he found something sparkling in the water of one of the rivers near the sawmill and extracted a lump of gold from a nearby gorge and shouted Gold! Gold! We have found it! But Marshall didn’t really believe him until he threw down a handful of golden flakes on the table. This is how the gold rush started and had them thinking how to keep it a secret.

The commencement of the California Gold Rush was on January 24th, 1848 and ceased in the year of 1855. The Gold Rush migration began when James W. Marshall, originally a sawmill operator, discovered a piece of gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. He was shocked to find gold because he was initially at the sight trying to build a sawmill. After news broke out of his finding, others wanted in on the luck. Within just one year, the mass migration quickly began to grow, attracting approximately three hundred thousand people from other states and abroad to search for gold like

The struggles of the California Gold Rush You are in California hoping to become wealthy. You see a small, yellow, shimmery pebble sparkle out of the corner of your eye, you pick it up. The California Gold Rush was a world wide rush to get to California to seek its riches beneath its rich soil. It all started on January 24, 1848 when James Marshall discovered gold in California.

     The California Gold Rush of 1849 is one of the most interesting and exiting events of the United States. From the wild stories of men striking it big, to the heart wrenching tales of people losing everything, these are what make it so alluring. There are many aspects of the California Gold Rush; effects on California; individual stories of struggle; and effects on the United States as a young country looking for stability.

Gold found in California starting the Gold Rush, happened to not be the first discovery of gold in there. “But gold had been found in 1843 near the Mission San Fernando in Southern California”. Although this discovery did not spark much attention, reason being. At that the time the country was under Mexican rule. “ The great California gold rush began on January 24,1848, when James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget in the American River while constructing a sawmill for John Sutter, a Sacramento agriculturalist”. Discovery of this gold generated the Gold Rush, which is one of the most significant events that

In the article "Ship of Gold" by Scholastic, it talks about how a ship crashed and people wanted the treasure. The article talks about how during the Gold Rush everyone was rushing to find the gold. The article states that "Thousands of people had flocked to California in hopes of getting the gold during the Gold Rush that began in 1848" (Ship of Gold 19). Many people went to find that gold which proves that during the Gold Rush everyone was greedy and that there was tons of gold. Many years later after the Gold Rush a determined man named Tommy Thompson found the gold. The article writes "As Nemo's bright light shone upon the wreckage, those watching from above gasped" (Ship of Gold 20). The bright light on Nemo that showed all the wreckage