California’s Rush of Gold

By: Katie Corbett

Who discovered the first piece of gold that started the Gold Rush?

James Marshall was hired to make a saw mill on the American River. While he was working on one of the machines on January 24, 1848 he discovered a small piece of gold at the bank of the river. He decided it would be best to keep his findings a secret, but as little as two weeks later his discovery was published in the popular newspaper, The California Star. Little did he know that his discovery would soon bring over 300,000 people to California from all over the world. James Marshall

Where was the first piece of gold which started the Gold Rush found?

The first piece of gold found was in Coloma, California. It was discovered on the land owned by John Sutter. John Sutter hired James Marshall to build a saw mill for him on the American River. James Marshall brought his findings to Sutter after the discovery, and the two of them started testing Marshall’s discovery.

What is the largest amount of gold found by one person during the Gold Rush?

In 1854, a 195-pound mass of gold, the largest known to have been

discovered in California, was found at Carson Hill in Calaveras County.

At that time one ounce of gold was worth $15 so back then that large

piece of gold was worth $46,800. Finding a piece of gold worth that much

in that time would have instantly made you rich because people rarely

earned $1 a day.

What was life like trying to find gold?

While trying to find gold, many men, and the few women, worked all day from when the sun rose until it set. From sitting on their knees for such long periods of time on rocks and dirt many had scratches and bruises on their knees all the time.

Fact:

Levi jeans got its start because the thick material they were made out of made them very durable and comfortable.

How did people find the gold?

One way people found gold was by a technique called panning. In the process of panning people would scoop up the small rocks at the bank of a river and search for small gold specks in the rocks.

Why was the Gold Rush such a big deal?

I think the Gold Rush was such a big deal because gold was very rare back then. At the time people made about $1 a day and even a small speck of gold was worth a lot of money. Even if you didn’t come to California to search for gold, some made money from selling tools and clothes for the minors. This kind of discovery was new for America and it brought hundreds of thousands of people west to California.

What were the effects of the Gold Rush?

The effects of the Gold Rush were huge for California. Because of the sudden population increase, California was able to become a state. Many people moved West who might not have otherwise moved. Also, Levi jeans also got its start due to the minors’ need for durable clothes. Also without the Gold Rush California may have never gotten it’s state motto “Eureka,” which means “I found it!”