A Guide to the California Gold Rush

At home or on the road, this interactive book examines major events and lasting changes that led up to and beyond the worlds best known gold rush. Each section is packed with interesting details, easy to understand information, photos, illustrations, and self-tests designed to entertain as well as add to your knowledge. Travel the 1849 Emigrants’ Trail across the continent by wagon into Sutter’s Fort and the gold fields. Find out what it was like to sail on an ocean voyage to San Francisco by way of Panama or the tip of South America. Learn how to find gold and the various methods used to extract hidden treasure from the region known as the Mother Lode. Explore a wide selection of towns that emerged along California’s historic Highway 49 in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada during this unique period of America’s past.

Why Gold, Gold, Gold!

In the world we inhabit, just about anything in short supply is valuable, and gold is one of those things. It could be that rarity is the singular reason we have decided gold is important, but it is truly an amazing element. It does not corrode nor rust and can be shaped into any imaginable creation. In fact, the metal can be pounded so wispy thin, some special candy companies actually cover chocolate with an edible golden wrap: the wrapping is so incredibly fine that 1000 layers would be needed just to match the thickness of one sheet of newspaper! All of us have seen jewelry made from the yellow mineral, and many simply admire the emotional appeal and sparkling gloss of its natural beauty. But gold has played a significant role in the historic past of our energetic republic as well.