{This Landmark series features American history for young students,}
In 19 short, easy-to-read chapters the author sketches the fascinating outline of the discovery of gold, providing interesting descriptions of the various routes taken by feverish prospectors–from all over the world–to reach the California coast. She includes the methods used to find “color” and authentic details of life in the mining camps–about the miners’ gritty work to their Sunday entertainment.
Learn why James Marshall, the white man who first discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill, and Augustus Sutter, the wealthy Swiss land baron in Spanish California, did not profit from the spectacular event. Find out why many men became rich, but Not by digging or panning gold themselves. Savor the excitement as gold fever swept the globe, resulting in statehood in just two years! This is a fun, non-fiction read based on historical facts, presented in a format that will appeal to elementary and junior high students.