In 1848, gold was discovered in California, attracting over 300,000 people from all over the world, some who struck it rich and many more who didn't. Hear the s

On the morning of January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold in California. The news spread across the continent, launching hundreds of ships and hitch

The discovery of gold in California enticed many eastern Americans to leave their homes, their businesses, and even their families and rush westward with the dr

In January of 1848, James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. For a year afterward, news of this discovery spread o

The story of the California Gold Rush is one of unanticipated, rapid, and momentous change. In 1848, California was a remote and underpopulated province of Mexi