Colorized image of miners from the Gold Rush

Miners shoveled dirt into long wooden boxes filled with water to sift out gold.

Joseph Blaney Starkweather/Fotosearch/Getty Images (miners); Shutterstock.com (all other images)

Gold Fever!

The discovery of gold in California 175 years ago helped reshape the United States.

January 16, 2023

As You Read, Think About: How did the Gold Rush affect California?

MICHAEL MACOR/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

This is believed to be one of the first pieces of gold found at Sutter’s Mill.

Something shiny sparkled in the water. The pebble caught the eye of James W. Marshall. It was January 24, 1848, and the carpenter was building a sawmill on the American River in what is now Coloma, California.

He couldn’t believe what he had just found at the worksite, called Sutter’s Mill.

“It made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold,” Marshall later wrote.

Soon he spotted another golden pebble sparkling in the sun. His discovery of those small pieces of the precious metal 175 years ago set off the California Gold Rush—and changed the U.S. forever. It led to the largest migration in the country’s history up to that point.

“When people learned that gold was available for the taking in California, many thousands traveled there from all over the world to seek their fortunes,” says H.W. Brands. He’s a historian who wrote a book about the Gold Rush.

Something shiny sparkled in the water. The pebble caught the eye of James W. Marshall. It was January 24, 1848. He was a carpenter building a sawmill on the American River in what is now Coloma, California.

The worksite was called Sutter’s Mill. Marshall couldn’t believe what he had just found there.

“It made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold,” Marshall later wrote.

Soon he spotted another golden pebble sparkling in the sun. He discovered those small pieces of the precious metal 175 years ago. His discovery set off the California Gold Rush. It changed the U.S. forever. The gold rush was the largest migration in the country’s history up to that point.

The Rush Is On

At the time of Marshall’s discovery, most of the American West, including California, belonged to Mexico. That changed less than two weeks later. The U.S. gained all that land as part of a treaty that ended the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). The leaders of the two nations didn’t know gold was part of the deal.

As the news from Sutter’s Mill spread, Americans from the East began flocking to California. Gold seekers who arrived in 1849—and those who followed in later years—became known as forty-niners. They spent months traveling on horseback, in covered wagons, and by ship. Many used their life’s savings for the long, dangerous journey.

“I have left those that I love [and] my own life behind and risked everything and endured many hardships to get here,” a gold miner from New York wrote in a letter back home.

Gold fever spread worldwide too, as immigrants from Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Australia also joined the hunt. In total, about 300,000 people moved to California during the Gold Rush with dreams of becoming rich.

At the time of Marshall’s discovery, most of the American West belonged to Mexico. This included California. But less than two weeks later, the U.S. gained all that land. It was part of a treaty that ended the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). The leaders of the two nations didn’t know gold was part of the deal.

News from Sutter’s Mill spread. Americans from the East began flocking to California. Gold seekers who arrived in 1849—and those who followed in later years—became known as forty-niners. They spent months traveling to California. They went on horseback, in covered wagons, and by ship. Many used their life’s savings for the long, dangerous journey.

“I have left those that I love [and] my own life behind and risked everything and endured many hardships to get here,” a gold miner from New York wrote in a letter back home.

Gold fever spread worldwide too. Immigrants from Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Australia also joined the hunt. In total, about 300,000 people moved to California during the Gold Rush. They had dreams of becoming rich.

Seeking Fortune

But most of those prospectors were in for an unpleasant surprise. Gold mining was a long, slow process, with no guarantee of success. Prospectors often worked from sunrise to sundown. Many used large pans to sift through water and dirt, hoping to spot even a speck of gold. In the end, few gold seekers became wealthy.

In fact, some of the most lasting fortunes weren’t made by prospectors at all but by the people who sold them supplies. Newcomers who opened inns, banks, and other businesses were also successful. Mining camps grew quickly into bustling towns and cities (see “Boomtowns Are Born,” below). The sudden explosion in population pushed Congress to make California the 31st U.S. state, in 1850.

But most of those prospectors were in for an unpleasant surprise. Gold mining was a long, slow process. And there was no guarantee of success. Prospectors often worked from sunrise to sundown. Many used large pans to sift through water and dirt. They hoped to spot even just a speck of gold. In the end, few gold seekers became wealthy.

In fact, some of the most lasting fortunes weren’t made by prospectors at all. It was the people who sold them supplies who became rich. Newcomers who opened inns, banks, and other businesses were also successful. Mining camps grew quickly into bustling towns and cities (see “Boomtowns Are Born,” below). There was a sudden explosion in population. This pushed Congress to make California the 31st U.S. state, in 1850.

Shaping America

The Gold Rush ended around 1855, but it continued to shape America. Those who came looking for gold, particularly Chinese immigrants, would help build the railroads that later connected the country from coast to coast.

Today, California has the largest population of any state. Not surprisingly, it’s called the Golden State. The nickname is a reminder that the discovery of gold 175 years ago played such an important role in the state’s history.

“People came from all over the world,” says Brands. “They changed the face of California and of the larger country. Their influence is felt today.”

The Gold Rush ended around 1855. But it continued to shape America. Those who came looking for gold, particularly Chinese immigrants, would help build railroads. Those railroads later connected the country from coast to coast.

Today California has the largest population of any state. Not surprisingly, it’s called the Golden State. The nickname is a reminder of how important the discovery of gold was to the state’s history.

“People came from all over the world,” says Brands. “They changed the face of California and of the larger country. Their influence is felt today.”

Boomtowns Are Born

During the Gold Rush, new towns seemed to spring up almost overnight in California. Others saw their populations explode. These communities were called boomtowns. One of them was Sacramento. At the start of 1849, it was home to fewer than 200 people. By the end of that year, its population had jumped to about 6,000. Since 1854, it has been the state capital.

The Gold Rush also helped transform San Francisco into a major city. Located more than 100 miles from Sutter’s Mill, it was the main port for miners who arrived by boat. It went from a small settlement of 1,000 people to a boomtown of 25,000 by the end of 1849.