jan 1, 1849 - California Gold Rush

Description:

- Gold discovered in Sutter’s Mill, California led to a mass migration of prospectors (known as "Forty-Niners").
- Tens of thousands of miners, mainly young, single men, moved west, hoping to strike it rich.
- Created boomtowns, which grew rapidly but collapsed when gold ran out, turning into ghost towns.
- Led to increased conflict with Native Americans, as miners trespassed on tribal lands in search of gold.

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