Gold Rush 1849 | US History for kids | Western Expansion

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Comprehension questions:
Who found gold nuggets in the water in Coloma in 1848?
How many people moved to California during the Gold Rush?
Who made a lot of money in the Gold Rush?
How did the Gold Rush affect transport?
How did the Gold Rush affect the Native Americans living in the area?
How did the Gold Rush affect the environment?

Reflection question:
How do you think California would be different if the Gold Rush hadn't happened?

In 1848 the carpenter, James W Marshall, was building a sawmill in present day Coloma, California when he went to fetch some water and discovered some tiny shiny nuggets in the river. It was gold! John Sutter - the man who owned the land the sawmill was - wanted to keep it quiet - and keep all the gold for himself! Unfortunately for him, a journalist found out and told everyone about it.

Unsurprisingly, thousands of people decided to travel to California in search of fortune. Getting there in those days was not easy. There were no planes, trains, or good roads for people to use and it took months, crossing treacherous rivers and terrible mountains to make it. Still there was a chance to make a quick fortune and many people went. They started arriving in droves in 1849 and because of this, they became known as 49ers.

California was not prepared for all these people! The land had only just been acquired by the US and only a few thousand people lived there. So many new people showed up that boomtowns had to be set up from scratch. Crazy! And because gold miners needed plenty of equipment like pans, pickaxes and shovels, many people started selling those tools.

By 1855, six years later, a total of about 300,000 people made the move to California. Most were Americans, but people from across the world also travelled to the area. By then, most of the loose and easy to find gold was claimed and treasure hunters stopped coming. Aw, and I was just about to get my shovel!

Unfortunately for most, the gold rush didn’t pay off and rather than finding a fortune in gold, they ended up losing everything in a futile search for treasure. The real winners of the gold rush, the ones who did make a fortune? The people who sold the shovels!

The Gold Rush changed California in many ways. Loads of people moved there very suddenly and it became the 31st state in 1850. The newcomers wanted to keep in touch with family far away so new roads, bridges, and steamships were created as well as better telegraph lines. It also led to the first transcontinental railroad.

Many who did not succeed in mining for gold took advantage of the state’s weather to farm vegetables and grains. Newcomers from Europe planted orchards and vineyards, and soon they were selling both locally AND to other countries. With all these new businesses, several banks opened.

Unfortunately, the gold rush led to violence against Native Americans, and tens of thousands lost their lives in clashes with settlers. Immigrants from China, going to California to try to earn money to support their families, were treated very badly. Eventually Chinese people weren’t even allowed to come to the US.

The Gold Rush was also bad for the environment. Rivers got clogged with sediment; forests were chopped down for the wood; animals and plants were killed and the soil was polluted with chemicals from the mining.

The Gold Rush really influenced the history of California and the United States. It led increased the population, improved transport and communication, made California richer, and helped it to become a state. The Gold Rush attracted adventurers from all over the world and symbolised what became known as the American Dream.

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