The California Gold Rush

The 1848 discovery of gold in California didn't just change the lives of those that rushed across the country to strike it rich. It also shaped the development of the early United States in a big way. California being the 31st state in the union may seen kinda odd being that's its about as far west as you can get and there's a lotta area in between. Well that's all thanks to the thousands and thousands of people who braved the California Trail or the sea voyage around South America for months heading west to seek their fortunes. A majority never struck pay dirt in the Golden State but those 49er's and also a pretty sizable group of international gold seekers set down roots to establish the unique culture of the San Francisco area. It's not all sunshine and nuggets though, when you get a ton of people all rushing to one area to fight for wealth it's gonna get messy. All that and more on this week's exciting episode of Historically High.