In 1848, gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range in California. By 1849, over 90,000 men, known as “forty-niners” after that year, had flocked to the area hoping to make their fortune. Very few succeeded. Even if they found gold, it usually cost too much to mine it.

Discovery of gold

In January 1848, James Marshall was inspecting his employer’s sawmill in the Sierra Nevada, California, when he noticed something glittering in the water of the millstream. He picked it up: it was gold. The news of the discovery soon spread. People came from all over America—and many parts of the world—to seek their fortunes in the goldfields of the West. Some travelled overland across the continent. Others came by sea to San Francisco.

Panning for gold

The miners looked for gold in the river bed. Some built rough wooden channels, hoping to trap fragments of gold in them. Others simply scooped up mud and gravel into metal pans.

​​​​​​​The miners swirled the mixture round the pan, allowing the muddy water to slop out over the edges. Gold dust was heavier than mud and gravel, so, if they were lucky, any gold in the mixture would be left in the bottom of the pan.