1849: The California Gold Rush

What did James Marshall do?

• He ran a store near Sutter's Mill and sold tools.

• He was the first person to find gold in California.

• He made a deal with the Mexican government for land.

• He kidnapped and enslaved Native people to work the land.

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Why did John Sutter most likely want to keep the discovery of gold a secret?

• to help the store owner sell goods

• to test that what was found was actually gold

• to make a deal with the Mexican government for land

• to find as much gold as he could before others came to look

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The way people searched for gold in California's rivers was called _____.

• erosion

• panning

• prospector

• placer miner

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Why were the gold rush settlers called forty-niners?

• California was the 49th state.

• There were 49,000 settlers.

• They moved to California in 1849.

• By then, 49 people had found gold.

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How does the map on page 8 help the reader?

• It shows the safest route for forty-niners to take.

• It shows the reader how many people took each route.

• It shows how many miles each route was that forty-niners could take.

• It shows which routes were by wagon and which routes were by ship.

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How was traveling by ship different than traveling by wagon?

• Traveling by ship took less time.

• Traveling by ship was much safer.

• Traveling by ship faced bad weather.

• Traveling by ship required buying tickets.

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According to the book, how were miners from China treated badly?

• They were taxed.

• They were enslaved.

• They were not allowed in California.

• They were forced off their land.

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According to the book, how did people make fortunes during the gold rush?

• Many forty-niners made fortunes off gold they found.

• Business owners made fortunes selling goods to forty-niners.

• Travel companies made fortunes selling tickets to gold rush settlers.

• Government officials made fortunes from land stolen during the gold rush.

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Why does the author believe California still lives up to its nickname?

• California has a huge economy today.

• Wealthy people chose to stay in California.

• White settlers benefited the most from the gold rush.

• Native peoples from California had a different experience.

Why was the gold rush appealing to settlers?

• Settlers wanted a safe route to travel across Native lands.

• The government had begun to take land and enslave people.

• The gold rush was an easy way to become wealthy and only required a few tools.

• Settlers wanted a quick way to make money since many workers only made a dollar a day.

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