The California Gold Rush

In 1848, a man named James Marshall found gold in California. News spread fast, and people rushed there to get rich. This was called the Gold Rush. About 300,000 people came to California from all over the world. They hoped to find gold and change their lives.

The Forty-Niners

People who came to California in 1849 were called 'forty-niners.' They traveled by boat, wagon, and on foot. The trip was long and hard. Many came from other countries like China, Mexico, and Europe.

A portrait of the man who first found gold in California.
A portrait of the man who first found gold in California. (Scattergood-Sollin / Wikimedia Commons)

Life in the Mines

Most miners used pans to wash dirt from rivers and look for gold. The work was tiring and dirty. A few miners got rich, but most did not. The people who sold food and tools often made more money than the miners.

Fun Facts

  • San Francisco grew from 200 people to 36,000 in just a few years.
  • Levi Strauss started making blue jeans for miners during the Gold Rush.
  • The largest gold nugget found weighed about 195 pounds.

Did You Know?

California became a U.S. state in 1850, partly because so many people moved there for gold.