1. California Gold Rush * Gold was discovered near Sutter’s Mill in 1848- this incident opened up a new world for thousands of Americans and foreigners The Donner Party left the Mississippi Valley with dreams of striking it rich in the Sierra Nevadas- but instead, their bad short cut left them stranded in the mountains during the worst winter on record- most of the party perished in the snow Gold Fever spread quickly from Sutter’s Fort and 80,000 gold-seeking migrants took to the trails and oceans (forty-niners) Very few prospectors and placer miners were successful- but the few who struck it rich inspired eager easterners and foreigners

3. * Mining camps sprung up all over the foothills, as women ran restaurants and people got rich in the hardware supply Business- most miners were young, single men, who spent their findings on poker, women, and whiskey Chinese immigrants had the biggest population impact on California, but faced harsh racism and discrimination San Francisco grew from a sleepy camp to a bustling metropolis in just months (500-20,000)- Levi Strauss began selling denim jeans to the thousands getting off the boats in the bay * California applied for statehood in 1850