The Discovery Of The California Gold Rush

did the California Gold Rush happen? Thesis: Although there were several factors and events that had led up to the California Gold Rush, the Westward Expansion, the discovery of gold, and immigration and work were the most influential. “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

"The California Gold Rush was the significant national event of its time" ("California Gold Rush: A Look to the Past"). This legendary story begins with one man. John Sutter, one of the richest people in the area, moved to California 1839 with the intent on building his own private empire. Sutter welcomed newcomers to the area because he viewed them as subjects for his self-styled kingdom. In the late 1840s, James Marshall and about 20 men were sent to the river by Sutter to build a sawmill ("The

fulfill a dream? Thousands of gold hunters from all corners of the world did so in hopes of striking rich after an abrupt discovery of gold in the American territory of California. This huge worldwide flock of people became known as The California Gold Rush of 1849. The Gold Rush granted riches to only a handful of miners, but provided Americans as well as many foreigners a new homeland and life. At the start of the 1830 decade, about 500 people resided in California. One of these settlers was

to make one of the biggest discoveries in American History. While working with his crew, he found little flakes of gold in a river near Coloma, California. Not knowing if it was “fool’s gold” , which would break if struck too hard, he “struck it between two rocks”1 knowing that real gold is malleable. He found that it could be moved into different shapes, but would not be broken. He struck gold. California would never be the same after this day. The California Gold Rush, more than any other historic

The Gold Rush (1848-1855) The Bay of San Francisco became the objective of ships bounds for the Pacific Coast, and in the 1840s a center of periodic trade. Upon the time of the Gold Rush, San Francisco was a regional rather than an urban designation- the settlement was still called Yerba Buena (Vance, 1964, p. 6). In 1848, James Marshall and John Sutter discovered gold near the American River located near Sacramento, California. Both Marshall and Sutter tried to keep the discovery of a gold a secret

Mill in California. At the adjacent American River, Marshall made a shocking discovery. He saw not one, but multiple pieces of gold scattered around, flowing in the river. Excited by this discovery, Marshall ran back to the mill, and began to conduct various tests to see if the gold was real. This alarming discovery ended up starting what is now known as the California Gold Rush, a huge increase of people and immigrants to the California region, all vying for a result of fortune from the gold. Thousands

The California Gold Rush 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. San Francisco was a small town of a few hundred

The California Gold Rush      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.      San

The California Gold Rush of 1849 was a very influential event in U.S history. It all started in 1848, in Coloma, California, when a man named James Marshall (See Appendix A) was working on a sawmill for a man named John Sutter (See Appendix B). He was working near a river and something caught his eye. When he went to investigate, he realized that he had discovered pure gold! Marshall wanted to keep this a secret between him and his boss, but word spread quickly, and eventually the whole world knew

The California gold rush began with the discovery of nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in 1848. The California gold rush could possibly be one of the greatest events that shaped American history during the 19th century. As the word spread that there had been gold found, thousands of gold miners made the journey to San Francisco. At the end of 1849, the population of the California territory was about 100,000 and before the gold rush in 1848 the population was less than 1,000. The gold rush peaked