Culture
These Maps Lay Out Exactly Where to Find California's Gold
Guides for prospectors, circa 1848.
January 24, 1848, was a big day for James W. Marshall, who found gold at Sutter's Mill (about 45 miles northeast of Sacramento). Word of his discovery quickly spread around the world, kicking off the California Gold Rush. Over the next seven years, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to what would become the 31st U.S. state.
The population influx changed California dramatically. Small settlements turned into boomtowns, steamship arrived, and railroads were built.