James Wilson Marshall could hardly believe his eyes. As the young construction foreman examined a channel of water behind a lumber mill he was building in Coloma, California, he spotted what looked like a glistening fleck of gold.
Not far from there, along the American River, he soon spotted another pebble sparkling in the sun, then another.
“I reached my hand down and picked it up,” Marshall later recalled. “It made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold.”
To be absolutely sure, he tested one of the nuggets by hammering it, changing its shape but not breaking it—a peculiar property of gold.
Marshall’s discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill 175 years ago, on January 24, 1848, fundamentally shaped the young nation. It set off the largest mass migration in U.S. history up to that point—an exodus to the American West that bred new fortunes, fueled the national economy, and helped foster an entrepreneurial spirit still present today.
James Wilson Marshall was building a lumber mill in Coloma, California. When he scanned the channel of water behind it, he could hardly believe his eyes. He spotted what looked like a shiny piece of gold.
Not far from there, he soon spotted another pebble sparkling in the sun. As he continued looking along the American River, he saw more of them.
“I reached my hand down and picked it up,” Marshall later recalled. “It made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold.”
To be sure, he tested one of the nuggets by hitting it with a hammer. When he banged it, its shape changed but it didn’t break. That’s how he knew it was really gold.
Marshall had found gold at Sutter’s Mill 175 years ago, on January 24, 1848. His discovery shaped the young nation in a vital way. It set off an exodus to the American West, which was the largest mass migration in U.S. history up to that point. The shift bred new fortunes and fueled the national economy. It also helped foster a business-minded spirit still present today.