Gold Rush

Began January 24, 1848 when gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California.
A week later, the Mexican-American War ended and California was given to the U.S., without knowledge of the discovery!
Upwards of 300,000 “49ers” from around the world flooded the state in search of fortune.
Many died of disease, accident or from violence searching for the precious metal.
A large, diverse population settled in CA and it quickly became a U.S. state in 1850.