The California gold rush (1848–1855) began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. [1] The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the United States and abroad. [2]

Apr 6, 2010 · The California Gold Rush was sparked by the discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 and was arguably one of the most significant events to shape American history...

Dec 18, 2024 · California Gold Rush, rapid influx of fortune seekers in California that began after gold was found at Sutter’s Mill in early 1848 and reached its peak in 1852. According to estimates, more than 300,000 people came to the territory during the Gold Rush.

Jan 24, 2025 · In the two decades following California’s Gold Rush beginnings, 80 percent of its Native American population was lost. Between 1848 and 1855, California produced an estimated 750,000 pounds of gold.

Sep 20, 2024 · The California Gold Rush was the mass migration of Americans and others to California in search of gold, which was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in 1848. It led to California's statehood and is one of the most important events tied to America’s Manifest Destiny and how it shaped the United States.

At a time when restless Americans were already itching to go west, the discovery of gold in California in 1848 was like gasoline on a fire. Within a year of its discovery, emigrants using the California Trail were flooding into the Sierra Nevada Range by the thousands.

The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on January 24, 1848 unleashed the largest migration in United States history and drew people from a dozen countries to form a multi-ethnic society on...

On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. Though he tried to keep it quiet, word spread and soon there was a surge in immigration to California from people hoping to strike it rich. It was the most famous gold rush in American history—but, in fact, not the first.

California's most famous gold rush dates to the morning of January 24, 1848, when James Marshall made his customary inspection of the sawmill he was building for John Sutter.

When gold was discovered on January 24, 1848, it set in motion events that forever changed California’s existing cultures, population, and environment. Thousands of people from all around the world flocked to the gold fields looking to strike it rich.