Day 33 Lockdown - 49ers

The California Gold Rush

Welcome back! Today, I will tell you a bit about the California gold rush. Enjoy!

The first ever finding of gold in California was by James W. Marshall. As the story goes, in 1848 James was building a sawmill for a friend and business owner when he saw something glimmering in the clear waters that he was near. He and the friend took it to a bank and it was tested for fakery. It turned out that it was 100% pure gold!

Soon, the word got around that California had free gold and it was no longer secret to James and co. People traveled hundreds and even thousands of miles to get to California for the gold and that act later became known as the 'gold rush' because thousands of people rushed to get the gold. At the time few Americans lived there but that changed drastically. They either traveled by boat or through Central America or they took the over-land California Trail in 1849. Those people would then be known as the 49ers. 

A way to find gold was to 'pan' for it meaning sinking a deep plate or a shallow bowl into the water, wipe away the dirt and scan for gold. The people panning were also called miners and they required rather a lot of equipment: a mining pan; a shovel; a pickaxe; food supplies. Sellers of that equipment were often richer than the miners who found gold themselves! Wherever riches, gold and silver were found, miners would set up camps. They are all (mostly!) still there today but they are deserted. 

#onesockdays