A Brief History Of The Gold Rush.

The 19th-century California gold rush is a critical part of American history, as fortune seekers trooped to areas rich in this precious metal. But that wasn’t the only gold rush – treasure hunters traveled to try their fortune in many parts of the world!

Read on as we trace the events that transpired during the gold rush in California and how they influenced the development of modern-day USA.

If that’s not enough for you, stick around as we explore other gold rushes around the world and how they differ from the American story.

The year was 1848; John Sutter had engaged the services of local carpenter James W. Marshall in building a water-powered sawmill.

As Marshall set out to work, something caught his eye in the water; gold! He quickly shared his findings with Sutter, who tried to keep it under wraps.

The discovery didn’t stay a secret for long, as the news spread like wildfire. The New York Herald and other publications even ran stories about these gold deposits. This attracted gold seekers within and outside the country who journeyed by road or sea.

Americans heading to the gold mines in California took one of three ways: the Cape Horn route, the Oregon-California Trail, and the Panama Shortcut. The 49ers, named after their year of arrival, traveled to California in 1849.