Valin Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 History.comA millwright named James Marshall discovers gold along the banks of Sutter's Creek in California, forever changing the course of history in the American West.A tributary to the South Fork of the American River in the Sacramento Valley east of San Francisco, Sutter's Creek was named for a Swiss immigrant who came to Mexican California in 1839. John Augustus Sutter became a citizen of Mexico and won a grant of nearly 50,000 acres in the lush Sacramento Valley, where he hoped to create a thriving colony. He built a sturdy fort that became the center of his first town, New Helvetia, and purchased farming implements, livestock, and a cannon to defend his tiny empire. Copying the methods of the Spanish missions, Sutter induced the local Indians to do all the work on his farms and ranches, often treating them as little more than slaves. Workers who dared leave his empire without permission were often brought back by armed posses to face brutal whippings or even execution.In the 1840s, Sutter's Fort became the first stopping-off point for overland Anglo-American emigrants coming to California to build farms and ranches. Though sworn to protect the Mexican province from falling under the control of the growing number of Americans, Sutter recognized that his future wealth and influence lay with these Anglo settlers. With the outbreak of the Mexican War in 1846, he threw his support to the Americans, who emerged victorious in the fall of 1847.(Snip) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pepper Posted January 24, 2014 Share Posted January 24, 2014 "At one point, eggs (if any) were $3.00 each; whiskey was $16.00 a bottle, pills were $10.00 each without advice, $100 with advice. The world's second largest gold nugget, and California's largest, was found at Carson Hill in Calaveras County in 1854. It weighed in at 160 pounds." http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist383/GoldRush.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
righteousmomma Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 Wowser!! According to an online source a dollar in 1848 was equivalent to about $ 24.00!! So an egg was 3xs that - a solid gold egg for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valin Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Wowser!! According to an online source a dollar in 1848 was equivalent to about $ 24.00!! So an egg was 3xs that - a solid gold egg for sure. Most of the miners didn't make anywhere near a fortune. Although I suspect many went as much for the adventure as for the fortune to be had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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