Interesting Facts About the California Gold Rush
Leia Smith | 25 - 12 - 2020
Updated: December 25, 2020 11:00 pm IST
California gold rush is one of the most significant historical events in the 1800s. This trivia clubs some of the fun gold rush facts and how it all happened. From boosting San Francisco’s economy to bringing millions of immigrants into the state, the California gold rush is an important occurrence in US history. Learn everything about the California gold rush and take up the quiz right here!
1. Who Was the President of the US During the California Gold Rush?
James Knox Polk was the 11th President of the United States. He served office from 1845 to 1845. This is the time when California’s gold presence slowly started becoming popular.
2. What Year Did the Gold Rush in California Begin?
Gold granules were first found on Jan 24, 1848 when a water sawmill was being constructed at the Sutter’s Mill in the American River near Coloma, California.
3. How Much Gold Was Found in the California Gold Rush?
It is said that nearly 750,000 pounds of gold was extracted by the miners during the California gold rush. But, the exact quantity of gold extracted is unclear because of innumerous mining camps in the place.
4. People Started Migrating to Which City in California After the News of Gold Presence Spread?
People from several parts of the world began to know about the gold presence in California and started migrating to the place. Because of this, San Francisco’s economy boomed during this period.
5. Hydraulic Mining Was Used to Extract Gold During the California Gold Rush?
Yes, hydraulic mining was one of the methods used to extract gold during the gold rush. But, in the early days, miners used shovels for digging through the sands looking for gold.
6. What Was the Nickname for People Who Moved to California During the Gold Rush?
The forty niners are immigrants who travelled to California in search of the gold. Over 300,000 people from countries like China, Mexico, Chile, Peru, etc came there in 1849 looking for gold.
7. _____________ Was Prevalent During the California Gold Rush.
Xenophobia is the fear of people from other cultures. During the gold rush, people from different cultural backgrounds came to California looking for gold and hence, xenophobia was prevalent among the natives.
8. California Had Become a State Even Before the Gold Rush.
California attained its statehood only in 1850 with San Jose as the capital. It became a free state on Sep 9, 1850 and was the 31st state to be added to the union.
9. Who First Saw Flakes of Gold at the Sutter’s Mill?
It was James W. Marshall who saw flakes of gold at the Sutter’s Mill while building the water sawmill. Initially, James and John Sutter wanted to keep it a secret but the news slowly spread amongst the people.
10. When Did the California Gold Rush Peak?
The California gold rush peaked in 1852. After millions of people migrated to the state looking for gold, the resources were exploited and the amount of gold being extracted became less.
11. San Francisco Is the Capital of California.
Sacramento is the capital of California. After California attained its statehood, San Jose became the capital city. But, due to Sacramento’s economy and heritage, it was declared the capital of California.
12. California Is the Leading Gold Producing State in the USA.
Nevada is the leading gold producing state in the USA. 75% of the gold in the USA is mined from this state.
13. How Many People Came to California During the Gold Rush?
Around 300,000 immigrants from countries like China, Chile, Peru, and Mexico reached California to extract gold. A lot of businessmen entered the place and started using advanced mining techniques.
14. Who Was the First Governor of California?
Peter Hardeman Burnett was the first governor of California and he served office from 1841 to 1851 typically during the California gold rush.
15. Immigrants From Which Country Were Taxed More During the Gold Rush?
The state of California charged heavy taxes on the Chinese immigrants because of pressure from the native Americans during the California gold rush.
16. How Many People Died in the Gold Rush?
It is said that nearly 100,000 people would have died after the California gold rush mainly due to the mining practices and accidents while finding gold. A lot of miners were even murdered by other greedy miners.
