Business Industry | Mining

California Gold Rush

In 1846, San Francisco's population was around 200, but by 1852, it had swelled to 36,000. One of the largest immigrant populations was the Chinese, most who came from the Guangdong Province in southern China and traveled the distance in hopes of striking it rich.

In the mid 1800s, the discovery of gold in California inspired hundreds of thousands from around the globe to head to the Wild West in hopes of securing their fortunes.

On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall accidentally discovered gold in Coloma, California. "I picked up one or two pieces and examined them attentively," he later wrote. "Gold...I know it to be nothing else." The California Gold Rush was born, and soon Americans, Chinese, South Americans, Europeans, and Australians alike flocked to the West in hopes of securing their fortunes. But the life of a miner, they quickly discovered, lacked the glamour they'd envisioned and was fraught with uncertainty and danger. Nicknamed the '49ers for the year, most failed to strike it rich, but their settlement in California changed the American landscape forever. The flood of people spurred construction, transforming once isolated outposts like San Francisco and Sacramento into the bustling cities we know today. By 1850, the rush had turned into a trickle, so miners moved on, following more promises of gold in the Kansas and Nebraska territories. But the international title California acquired as the Golden State remained.

In 1846, San Francisco's population was around 200, but by 1852, it had swelled to 36,000. One of the largest immigrant populations was the Chinese, most who came from the Guangdong Province in southern China and traveled the distance in hopes of striking it rich.

 

Sacramento, California, was built during the Gold Rush. Its convenient location downstream from a rich gold source led to a population boom, and by 1850 California had become a state. Four years later, Sacramento became its capital.

 

Gold wasn't the only mineral being discovered: gold-bearing quartz was found in 1850. Soon a series of underground mines were developed to collect the profitable crystals.

 

Although panning for gold was relatively ineffective, it required little talent and was popular among early prospectors.