1. The California Gold Rush of 1849

2. Sutter’s Mill
Mill= a factory
In January of 1848, John Sutter, the owner of Sutter’s Mill, sent James Marshall to build a sawmill next to a nearby creek.

3. Sutter’s Mill Location

4. Eureka!
Eureka= a cry of joy or satisfaction when one finds or discovers something.
“I reached my hand down and picked it up; it made my heart trump, for I was certain it was gold.” – James Marshall

5. Oro! Oro! Oro!
After the discovery, Sutter and Marshall both agreed to keep the discovery a secret, but when they went to investigate the next day, they found a Spanish-speaking Native American holding a gold nugget shouting “Oro! Oro! Oro!”

6. Extra! Extra!
News of the discovery of gold soon spread across the country like wild fire.

7. Forty-Niners
A group of 80,000 gold-seekers, called forty-niner, traveled to California in hope of striking it rich.
80% of the 49ers were American.

8. Gold Fever
“At that time the ‘gold fever’ was contagious, and few, old or young escaped the malady [sickness]”

9. Gold Mining Equipment

10. The Chinese and the Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush brought a large number of Chinese to America.
These Chinese were very poor back in China.
They wanted to become rich.

12. The Chinese The Chinese Miners Faced: Harsh Working Conditions
Discrimination

13. The positive effects of the gold rush
All of these
developments led to the
statehood of California
on September 9th, 1850
as the 31st state.
Towns and cities were charted
Roads, schools, and churches were formed
Improved transportation between California and the east coast

14. Boomtown - The General Store, Corinne, Boxelder Co., Utah
Boomtowns - towns that grew up near major mining sites
Some boom towns developed into cities, such as Denver, CO, and Reno, NV.
Boomtown - The General Store, Corinne, Boxelder Co., Utah

15. Many of these new towns became abandoned ghost towns when the ore disappeared.
Silver City, Idaho