The great California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848. The entire commotion soon to come began with just a single man’s discovery. James W. Marshall, one of the many workers of John Sutter, found tiny pieces of gold in the American River, now known as Coloma, while helping construct a sawmill of John Sutter’s. Marshall showed Sutter of the gold he found; there was originally an agreement between Sutter and Marshall to keep things about the findings quiet. Sutter did not want news of the discovery to spread because he was afraid that hopeful …show more content…
These fortune seekers came to be known as forty-niners. They got this name because it “reflected the voyagers who had rushed the West for gold.” About half of the 80,000 fortune seekers traveled for six months by land trails and the other half by ship around South America-or went through a short land passage at the Isthmus of Panama. Both of the routes were very long and difficult. On land, people traveled in covered wagons over bumpy grounds and dangerous environments. On waters, many acquired terrible sea sickness, bug-infested food, and boredom. These difficult journeys from both of these routes inspired the Panama Railway to be constructed; the world’s first transcontinental railroad. This railroad helped pluck some months off of the long trips.
Although many of the people who came for the Gold Rush were Americans, several thousands of people also came from outside of America: Europe, Asia, and Australia. In San Francisco, the rate at which the population grew was substantial; from just 14,000 in 1847 to over 225,000 in 1852; in only five