Westward Expansion AMERICA'S PUSH TO THE PACIFIC THE GOLD RUSH THERESA MORLOCK Britannica Educational Publishing IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSEN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
introduction James W Marshall was a thirty-seven-year-old carpenter building a sawmill along the American River in Coloma California when something shiny caught his eye on January 24 1848 Could these glittering flakes actually be gold Marshall gathered up the bright yellow pieces and sped to the office of the mill’s owner John Sutter Urging him to secrecy Marshall showed Sutter his findings Sutter tested the flakes and confirmed Marshall’s suspicion gold had been found in California Within months Marshall’s discovery was made public sparking a chain of events that transformed California and fueled the westward push of the United States In the years that followed Marshall’s discovery California’s population exploded Lured by the promise of riches and a new life people from around the world flooded into California Emigrants from Mexico Chile China Australia Germany Ireland and France came with the hope of striking it rich and returning home 4
INTRODUCTION Today the Sutter’s Mill site is part of Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park The park includes a model of the original sawmill and many historic buildings 5
