The California Trail To Gold In American History

Examines the thrills and disappointments of the nineteenth-century rush for gold in California, during which people abandoned their jobs and homes and headed west in hopes of becoming rich.

The dramatic journeys of the 19th century Gold Rush come to life in this geologist’s tour of the American West and the events that shaped the land. In 1848, news of the discovery of gold in California triggered an enormous wave of emigration toward the Pacific. The dramatic terrain these settlers crossed is so familiar to us now that it is hard to imagine how frightening—even godforsaken—its sheer rock faces and barren deserts once seemed to them. Hard Road West brings their perspective vividly to life, weaving together the epic overland journey of the covered wagon trains and the compelling story of the landscape they encountered. Taking readers along the 2,000-mile California Trail, Keith Meldahl uses settler’s diaries and letters—as well as his own experiences on the trail—to reveal how the geology and geography of the West shaped our nation’s westward expansion. He guides us through a landscape of sawtooth mountains, following the meager streams that served as lifelines through an arid land, all the way to California itself, where colliding tectonic plates created breathtaking scenery and planted the gold that lured travelers west in the first place. “Alternates seamlessly between vivid accounts of the 19th-century journey and lucid explanations of the geological events that shaped the landscape traveled.”—Library Journal

The California gold rush lasted only seven years, but it affected people around the world. Track the important events and turning points that made the discovery of gold a pivotal part of the westward expansion of the United States.

The story of the California gold rush and its effect on the character of the United States.

The California Gold Rush of 1849 was a defining moment in American history, and in 'The Forty-Niners: A Chronicle of the California Trail and El Dorado', Stewart Edward White captures the thrilling yet perilous journey that prospectors made to reach the elusive gold fields. The book is a true-to-life account of the challenges faced by pioneers, from the treacherous trails to the lawless towns that emerged as gold fever swept the region. White expertly weaves together the stories of the diverse people who flocked to California, and shows how they came together to form a society and government from scratch.

Bring history to life for students in grades 4–7 with The California Gold Rush! This 64-page book provides challenging activities that enable students to explore history, geography, and social studies topics. Activities include word searches, fact-or-opinion questions, and creative writing. The book includes answer keys, time lines, and suggested reading lists.

In 1848, gold was discovered in California. This exciting news spread eastward. People from all walks of life with dreams of enormous riches packed up their belongings and left their comfortable homes behind in search of the hidden treasure. Author Linda Jacobs Altman describes the development of this rugged world of the mining towns, which sparked the development of California. Altman also highlights the stories of prospectors, bandits and thrill seekers who make up the legend and the myth of the time.

Did you know that an estimated 5,000 blacks were an early and integral part of the California Gold Rush? Did you know that black history in California precedes Gold Rush history by some 300 years? Did you know that in California during the Gold Rush, blacks created one of the wealthiest, most culturally advanced, most politically active communities in the nation? Few people are aware of the intriguing, dynamic often wholly inspirational stories of African American argonauts, from backgrounds as diverse as those of their less sturdy- complexioned peers. Defying strict California fugitive slave laws and an unforgiving court testimony ban in a state that declared itself free, black men and women combined skill, ambition and courage and rose to meet that daunting challenge with dignity, determination and even a certain elan, leaving behind a legacy that has gone starkly under-reported. Mainstream history tends to contribute to the illusion that African Americans were all but absent from the California Gold Rush experience. This remarkable book, illustrated with dozens of photos, offers definitive contradiction to that illusion and opens a door that leads the reader into a forgotten world long shrouded behind the shadowy curtains of time."