

California’s Gold Rush, then and now
During the legendary gold rush that began in the American River valley, hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world left their homes to head to California, hoping to make a fortune in gold mining. Today, the old mining settlements attract hikers, tourists, and historians.
On 24 January 1848, foreman James W. Marshall and his men found gold nuggets while building a flour mill at Sutter’s Mill, General John Sutter’s ranch in the American River Valley. Marshall had gone down to the river to inspect the progress of the project and, as he later explained, “I noticed something glittering at the bottom of the ditch. . . I picked it up with my hand and my heart skipped a beat because I was sure it was gold. . . . Then I saw more.
As word spread, many day labourers left their jobs to pan for gold along the American River and its tributaries. News of this discovery quickly spread beyond California, triggering a migratory wave of people from all over the world, who left their homes to seek their fortune in the western United States.
In little more than a year, nearly 100,000 people made their way to California from the rest of the country, Europe, Asia, Australasia and other corners of the globe. Soon, California’s population grew exponentially, not only with those hoping to strike it rich by panning for gold but with many other entrepreneurs making a living by providing goods and services to the miners.
The city of San Francisco, in particular, became a major urban and commercial centre as almost all immigrants arriving by sea passed through the city, as did most goods imported from other countries. Crowded with hotels, shops, bars and gambling houses, it became the ideal place for miners to spend their earnings.
From the Gold Rush to the Golden State
By 1860, the population had almost tripled since 1847, reaching 308,000 residents. During 1852, the height of the mining boom, some $2 billion in gold was mined, enriching some of these adventurers. Even so, working conditions were harsh, and many miners earned little more than they had when they arrived.
Two decades later, most miners had left the mines and found other ways to make a living. Livestock farming grew exponentially, and by 1860, California farms had four times as many cows as in 1848. The railway network, built by Chinese immigrants, ended California’s physical isolation from the rest of the United States and further contributed to the region’s economic development.
Today, Northern California’s historic Gold Country is booming for a second time after experiencing an influx of new residents who moved in during the sanitary crisis. Also thanks to the hundreds of thousands of hikers and tourists who visit the region attracted by the old mining towns by the Sierra Nevada, now redeveloped with fashionable shops, restaurants and refurbished 19th-century hotels.
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Llàstima que als Països Catalans no tinguem or.
Ens hem hagut de vendre la costa, degradar els barris històrics de les ciutats i construir grans blocs d’rdificis a les hortes i camps de fruiters per a poder duplicar la població en 70 anys.
Així és, Mercè. Fa anys que “investigo” el tema i segons sembla només ens queden quatre engrunes d’or per passar una tarda de diumenge remenant sorra 🤷♂️