California Gold Rush Quiz

What was the California Gold Rush?

• A) A period when people moved to California to find gold

• B) A period when people moved to Texas to find oil

• C) A period when people moved to Alaska to find gold

• D) A period when people moved to California to find silver

Who was the first person to find gold in a river while building a sawmill for John Sutter?

• A) John Sutter

• B) James Marshall

• C) John Smith

• D) James Sutter

Who owned the land where the first gold was found by James Marshall?

• A) John Sutter

• B) James Marshall

• C) John Smith

• D) James Sutter

What is mass-migration?

• A) When a small number of people move from one place to another over a long period of time

• B) When a very large number of people move from one place to another in a short period of time

• C) When a very large number of people move from one place to another over a long period of time

• D) When a small number of people move from one place to another in a short period of time

When did the Gold Rush occur in California?

• 1848-1855

• 1850-1857

• 1845-1852

• 1852-1859

What is the name given to the men who came to California to mine for gold?

• Gold Seekers

• Forty-niners

• Gold Diggers

• Prospectors

What is a Boomtown?

• A town that grew up around the rivers where gold was being mined

• A town that was abandoned after the gold was gone

• A town that was built for tourists

• A town that was destroyed by an earthquake

What is a Ghost Town?

• A town that was haunted by ghosts

• A town that was left behind when the miners left after no more gold could be found

• A town that was built for miners

• A town that was destroyed by a flood

Which state became the 31st state to join the USA?

• Texas

• Nevada

• California

• Oregon

What is the most common method miners used to find gold?

• Using a pickaxe

• Panning

• Digging with shovels

• Using a metal detector