These people became known as “The 49ers.”Įntrepreneur Sam Brannan further fueled excitement by parading through San Francisco with a vial of gold, sparking a rush of people seeking fortune. They loaded their wagons and crossed the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and others as they made their way to California. Soon after, Americans living on the East Coast started moving West in search of their fortunes. Polk officially announced gold had been discovered in California - “The Golden State.” From there, the news spread eastward, across the Great Plains, the Midwest, the Southeast, and the East Coast. The first gold-seekers came from various places, including Oregon, Hawaii, Mexico, Chile, Peru, and China. News of the discovery spread quickly, triggering a massive influx of prospectors in the summer of 1848.

The discovery came just 10 days after the United States officially acquired California in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which formally ended the Mexican-American War. By 1854, roughly 300,000 people had moved to California, helping fulfill Manifest Destiny through Westward Expansion. By the end of 1849, California’s population skyrocketed to an estimated 100,000 people. Marshall stumbled upon gold nuggets while working at Sutter’s Mill in the Sacramento Valley.Īt the time the Marshall found the gold, the population of California was about 1,000 people - not including the Native American Indians. The California Gold Rush, a pivotal event in American history, started on January 24, 1848, when James W.

What was the California Gold Rush? A Summary of the Event that Transformed the Nation

California gold rush for kids