California Gold Rush Begins

Setting the scene

In January 1848, James Marshall found gold at Sutter's Mill in California. Sam Brannan publicized it, and President Polk confirmed it in December 1848, triggering mass migration. California had only 15,000 non-Native residents.

What happened

In 1849, 90,000 'forty-niners' arrived. San Francisco grew from 1,000 to 25,000 in two years. Miners extracted $2 billion in gold by 1855. Few got rich; merchants like Levi Strauss made fortunes. The Native population collapsed from 150,000 to 30,000.

Why it still matters

The Gold Rush transformed America, making California a state in 1850 and financing the Union in the Civil War. It created environmental devastation that persists. The Rush epitomized American opportunity and greed, creating the myth of the West that drew millions westward for a century.

Background

News spread widely in 1849, creating the 'Forty-Niners.'.