Gold!
165 years ago, on January 24, 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill setting off the California Gold Rush. People began flocking to the state later that year, but the majority didn't arrive until the next year — hence the term "forty-niners." All told, the news drew some 300,000 people from all over the world (Latin America, Europe, Australia and China) between the years 1849 and 1855, to seek their fortune in California.
The age of gold: the California Gold Rush and the new American dream by H.W. Brands
The California Gold Rush and the coming of the Civil War by Leonard L. Richards
Days of gold: the California Gold Rush and the American nation by Malcolm J. Rohrbough
Roaring camp: the social world of the California Gold Rush by Susan Lee Johnson
Gold rushes of North America: an illustrated history by Lionel Martinez
California: a history by Kevin Starr
They saw the elephant: women in the California gold rush by JoAnn Levy
The gold rush [videodisc] directed by Randall MacLowry
Gold rush ghost towns [videodisc] produced and written by Andrew Ames for the History Channel
Gold rush tech [videodisc] by The History Channel; A&E Television Networks
