California Gold Rush Nuggets
One of the most significant events in the history of the United States is the California Gold Rush. It all started in January 1848, when a carpenter named James Marshall was working to build a water-powered sawmill for John Sutter. While working, Marshall found flakes of gold in the American River at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Coloma, California. Ironically, at the time of the discovery, California was still technically part of Mexico, but it was just days later that the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ending the Mexican-American War and leaving California as a possession of the United States.
Almost immediately word of the gold discovery spread, and people started flocking to California with the dream of riches. At first, it was primarily people from Oregon, the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii), Mexico, Chile, Peru and even China. Only later in 1848 would word reach the east coast of the United States and start the westward migration. The people who went to California to prospect for gold were called 49ers because of how they left home in 1849.
The trip was long and dangerous, which resulted in mainly young men making the trip. Most of them left their families with the promise of coming back rich. Some went by ship, while others went by horse and covered wagon over land routes like the famous Oregon Trail. It is estimated that about 90,000 people arrived in California in 1849. San Francisco, which had been a tiny settlement when the gold rush began, quickly grew from about 1,000 residents in 1848 to 25,000 residents in 1850.
The population growth experienced in California undoubtedly sped up the process of California’s admission to the Union as the 31st state. Probably no other event motivated westward migration across the United States, which helped shape the country’s development. Though gold mining reached its peak by 1852, settlement in California continued, with the population growing to about 380,000 by the end of the decade.
Almost immediately word of the gold discovery spread, and people started flocking to California with the dream of riches. At first, it was primarily people from Oregon, the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii), Mexico, Chile, Peru and even China. Only later in 1848 would word reach the east coast of the United States and start the westward migration. The people who went to California to prospect for gold were called 49ers because of how they left home in 1849.
The trip was long and dangerous, which resulted in mainly young men making the trip. Most of them left their families with the promise of coming back rich. Some went by ship, while others went by horse and covered wagon over land routes like the famous Oregon Trail. It is estimated that about 90,000 people arrived in California in 1849. San Francisco, which had been a tiny settlement when the gold rush began, quickly grew from about 1,000 residents in 1848 to 25,000 residents in 1850.
The population growth experienced in California undoubtedly sped up the process of California’s admission to the Union as the 31st state. Probably no other event motivated westward migration across the United States, which helped shape the country’s development. Though gold mining reached its peak by 1852, settlement in California continued, with the population growing to about 380,000 by the end of the decade.
The item in my collection is a sampling of 0.5 grams of gold nuggets. It was recovered from the shipwreck of the S.S. Central America, which sank during a hurricane in 1857 with over 10 tons of gold prospected during the California Gold Rush. The gold nuggets are encased in plastic as issued by Collectors Universe.