Gold! Gold from the American River!

Across thousands of miles of uncharted land and facing unimaginable dangers, the forty-niners came with one dream in mind... GOLD!

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. With accounts from the travelers themselves and vivid watercolors, Don Brown narrates the uncharted journey across hostile land, the laborious process of panning for gold, the success of savvy entrepreneurs, and the fortunes of the marginalized. The excitement, drive, and adrenaline of the California gold rush are captured here and illuminate one of the largest mass migrations in American history.