History of California
To 1899
Gold Rush (1849)
American Civil War (1861-1865)
1900 to present
Maritime
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco

The California Gold Rush was a period in American history marked by great world-wide interest concerning a gold discovery in Northern California. The period is marked by mass migrations into California by people, at first almost exclusively men, seeking an easy fortune. Some achieved their goal and became rich. Most, however, found only enough gold to barely pay their daily expenses. The California Gold Rush is generally considered to have ended in [1858], when the New Mexican Gold Rush began. Download high resolution version (700x900, 118 KB)Image of a California Poppy flower. ... Although the present-day State of California has been occupied for millennia, the lack of a written record and the significant marginalization in the population of native inhabitants after European colonization means that most of the known history of California begins with European exploration. ... The J.P. Gillis Flag. ... The history of California in the 20th century after 50 years of being a state is: // Oil, movies, and the military A forest of oil derricks in 1896 Los Angeles. ... Map showing Island of California, circa 1650 Maritime history of California is a term used to describe significant past events relating to the U.S. State of California in areas concerning shipping, shipwrecks, and military installations and lighthouses constructed to protect or aid navigation and development of the state. ... The recorded history of Los Angeles, California is a complicated one, going back to the 16th century and a tiny Spanish settlement sometimes called Bahía de los fumos (Bay of the Smokes). // Historical population growth At the end of 2004, the population is estimated to be 3,912,200. ... The recorded history of the San Diego , California region goes back to the Spanish penetration of California in the 16th century. ... The history of San Francisco, California has been greatly influenced by its coastal location, which has made it a natural center for maritime trade and military activity. ... Pre-Colonial America For details, see the main Pre-Colonial America article. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... Northern California, sometimes abbreviated NorCal, refers to the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total   - Width   - Length   - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 158,302 sq mi  410,000 km² 250 miles  402. ...

The rush started at Sutter's Mill near Coloma, California on January 24, 1848 when James W. Marshall, an employee of Sacramento agriculturist John Sutter, found a gold nugget. Actually, Marshall did not say that he had discovered gold; nor did he use the word "gold" or "nugget." What he said was that he had discovered a chispa, which is Spanish for "bright speck" or "spangle." That he should have used this term is some indication of how widely Spanish mining practices, and the Spanish mining vocabulary, had permeated California prior to 1848. Sutter wanted to suppress the fact that he had found gold because he was more concerned with expanding his utopian ideal of an agricultural empire than finding fortune in the cold American River. Sutters Mill Sutters Mill was a sawmill owned by 19th century pioneer John Sutter. ... Coloma is a former small town in El Dorado County, California, USA (Latitude/Longitude: 38. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... James Wilson Marshall (October 8, 1810 - August 10, 1885) was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, whose discovery of gold in the American River in California in January 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush. ... Nickname: City of Trees Motto: Official website: http://www. ... John Sutter Johann Augustus Sutter (February 23, 1803–June 18, 1880) was a Californian famous for his association with the California Gold Rush (in that gold was discovered by James W. Marshall in Sutters Mill) and for establishing Sutters Fort in an area that would later become the... It has been suggested that utopianism be merged into this article or section. ... The American River, located in the US state of California, has a prominent place in American history for being the site of Sutters Mill, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush. ...

But rumors soon surfaced, and were confirmed by San Francisco newspaper publisher and merchant Samuel Brannan in March. On August 19, 1848 the New York Herald was the first newspaper on the East Coast of the United States to confirm that there was a gold rush in California; by December 5, 1848, even the President of the United States would announce this before Congress. Soon the inevitable wave of immigration from around the world called the "49ers" invaded what would be called the Gold Country of California. As he predicted when he saw the gold nugget, Sutter was ruined as more and more of his agricultural workers left in search of gold and squatters invaded his land and stole his crops. Nickname: The City by the Bay Official website: http://www. ... Samuel Brannan (March 2, 1819 - May 14, 1889), was the first publicist of the California gold rush and the first millionaire because of the rush. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835 and 1924. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gold Country (also Mother Lode Country) is a region of northeastern California famed for the mines and mineral deposits which so famously brought the 49ers west for the California Gold Rush. ...

The Gold Rush prompted considerable development in California, and sparked the building of the Panama Railway. The city of San Francisco at first became a ghost town of abandoned ships and businesses whose owners had decided to join in the rush, and then, slightly later, boomed as miners returned rich or, more often, broke and looking for wages. Pioneer Ivan McAmmon was the first in the city to demand what he called "fair wage" as a shopkeeper. The population of San Francisco exploded from a mere 1,000 in 1848 to 20,000 full-time residents by 1850. Like many cities of the 19th century, the infrastructure of San Francisco and other boom towns near the fields was strained by the sudden influx; leftover cigar boxes and planks would serve as sidewalks, and crime became a problem, causing vigilantes to rise up and serve the populace in the absence of police. Also, the large number of settlers who moved to California resulted in the area becoming a state only two years after the end of the Mexican-American War. California was admitted to the Union in the Compromise of 1850 as the 31st State. The Panama Railway or Panama Railroad was the worlds first transcontinental railroad. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A vigilance committee, in the 19th century United States, was a group of private citizens who organized themselves for self-protection. ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Strength 60,000 40,000 Casualties KIA: 1,733 Total dead: 13,283 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 (Mexican government estimate) The Mexican-American War was fought between the United States and... Henry Clay takes the floor of the Old Senate Chamber; Millard Fillmore presides as Calhoun and Webster look on. ...

The San Francisco 49ers [[NFL]national football leage team is named for the prospectors of the California Gold Rush.Its named after them is because the gold rush was in the time 1849 and caiforna wanted to remember the historic moment. City San Francisco, California Other nicknames Niners Team colors Cardinal Red, Metallic Gold and Black Head Coach Mike Nolan Owner Denise DeBartolo York and John York General manager Scot McCloughan Fight song None Mascot Sourdough Sam Local radio Flagship stations: KNBR (680 AM & 1050 AM) and KSAN (107. ...

See also

• Gold Rush
• List of people associated with the California Gold Rush
• Mining Act of 1872
• stamp act

A California Gold Rush handbill A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers into the area of a dramatic discovery of commercial quantities of gold. ... This is a selected list of people associated with the California gold rush. ... The Mining Act of 1872 is U.S. federal legislation which authorizes and governs prospecting and mining for hard rock minerals such as gold and silver. ... A Stamp Act is a law enacted by a government that requires tax to be paid on the transfer of certain documents such as property deeds. ...

External links

• The Gold Rush: fun facts