A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the Califronia territory during the Gold Rush
The great California gold rush began on January 24, 1848, when James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget in the American River while constructing a sawmil
The gold fired up the U.S. economy and fueled wild dreams like the construction of a cross-country railroad line.
The lasting impact of the Gold Rush brought enormous profits to the region, but by 1853 gold was hard to come by so hydraulic mining was invented devastating much of California's Landscapes.
http://www.history.com/topics/gold-rush-of-1849
http://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-california-gold-rush
http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/goldrush.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldrush/peopleevents/e_goldrush.html
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Created with images by motoyen - "Gold Coins"