California Gold Rush Quiz

What year did James Marshall discover gold in California?

• 1848

• 1850

• 1849

• 1799

What is fool's gold also known as?

• Quartz

• Pyrite

• Copper

• Silver

What year did a young boy find a 17-pound gold nugget in North Carolina, sparking a gold rush?

• 1820

• 1850

• 1848

• 1799

How did most prospectors travel to California by land?

• Wagon trains

• Walking

• Railroad

• Horseback

What was the primary method used by prospectors to find gold in streams?

• Digging

• Panning

• Drilling

• Mining

What was the nickname given to prospectors in California during the Gold Rush?

• Panners

• Miners

• 49ers

• Gold Diggers

Which city's population grew from 150 to 6,000 in 1849 due to the Gold Rush?

• Los Angeles

• San Diego

• San Francisco

• Sacramento

Who became very wealthy by selling denim pants during the Gold Rush?

• John Sutter

• Levi Strauss

• John Bidwell

• James Marshall

What dangerous chemical was used to separate gold from rock dust?

• Lead

• Cyanide

• Arsenic

• Mercury

What happened to towns after the gold was depleted?

• They turned into ghost towns

• They became state capitals

• They continued to grow

• They became farming communities