People often dream of becoming rich. However, in the mid-1800s, people really could become rich overnight. The California gold rush brought many men to the area. These prospectors searched for gold. Some became lucky, while others lost all of their life savings. This book describes the history of the California gold rush and highlights what life was like for the men, women, and children who lived through the era.

This engaging volume takes a close look at the legend of Joaquin Murrieta, the man who came to be known as the Robin Hood of Eldorado. Dynamic text tells the story of Murrieta, with plenty of exciting age-appropriate details, but also examines the complex relationship between fact and fiction in legends such as his. Interesting and informative historical background on the California Gold Rush and the role of Mexicans and Californians in the area at...

"Explores the California Gold Rush by examining the causes leading up to it and the immediate and lasting effects it had on the people and places involved"--

This title examines an important historic event - the gold rush in California. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the first discovery of gold and the creation of boomtowns in the West, issues with the Mexican government, military desertion, expansionism, and the environmental consequences of mining, key characters such as John Sutter, Samuel Brannan, Colonel Richard B. Mason, and President James K. Polk, the roles of journalism, transportation,...

In 1848, thousands of people from all over the world dropped their mundane lives and embarked on sometimes deadly journeys with hopes of striking gold in the American West. This book chronicles a fascinating period of American history through fictional found ephemera, meticulously researched and developed to create an inside look into the life and struggle of the forty-niners. Captivating black-and-white photography of the miners illustrates their...

James Marshall's discovery of gold on January 24, 1848, would be heard by people all over the world. By 1849, twenty-two million Americans came down with a terrific case of gold fever. The journey across hostile land and the accounts of the travelers themselves will illuminate one of the largest mass migrations in American history.

"Black Bart was not the Old West's only stagecoach robber, but he quickly became the most famous. To many people, he was a folk hero, a robber who didn't threaten or harm passengers. He was a bandit with a sense of humor who wrote poetry. In robbing at least 28 Wells Fargo stagecoaches across northern California between 1875 and 1883, he never fired a shot or injured anyone. His gun, it turned out, was never loaded. Newspaper stories about the poet...

A young prospector describes his experiences traveling overland to the California gold fields and during the five years he spent digging for gold.

Follows the development of the gold rush in California starting in the 1840s. Examines its effects on the economic, social, and political development of the area from early times through statehood and into the modern day.