The Forty-Niners

James Marshall, a foreman at Sutter’s Fort near Sacramento, accidentally discovered gold in January 1848 while building a sawmill. His discovery sparked the California Gold Rush. Approximately 300,000 people from across the country and around the world flocked to the region, hoping to make their fortunes. These gold-seekers were called the “Forty-Niners,” since the majority of them arrived during 1849. This book, by historian and nature writer Stewart Edward White, tells the story of California before, during, and after this pivotal period. He paints a romantic picture of the early mining camps, when the miners shared an easy camaraderie and “[g]old was so abundant it was much easier to dig it than to steal it.” But word spread quickly, causing a frenzy of new settlers and permanently changing the face of the state’s population.