Gold, Greed & Genocide | International Indian Treaty Council
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento. Hearing the news, approximately 300,000 people poured into California from the rest of the United States and around the world. The influx of miners reached its peak in 1849, resulting in the term "49'ers".