Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Westward Expansion and Reform
Part of a longer time line describing the history of the American West, this section covers the period 1829 to 1859 with hyperlinks to stories and people of this time period.
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Virtual Museum of San Francisco Ulysses S. Grant and the Gold Rush
From Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs is this description of his 1852 trip to California across Panama and his stay in San Francisco.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco: The Miner's Song
Published in "Hutching's California Magazine" in 1857 was a song expressing the hopes and dreams of those suffering from gold fever.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco: The Miners' Ten Commandments
Written by James Hutchings in 1853, the ten commandments of miners show the life of the miner.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Treasures of Am. History: Western Expansion
Shown are images and descriptions of artifacts that express the challenges that the migrants, Mexicans, and Indians shared in their quest for westward expansion in the United States during the 1800s.
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Hydraulic Mining
Provides pictures and information about hydraulic mining (using jets of water to break down gold-laden gravel banks) for gold.
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Hydraulic mining.jpg, 0 Bytes
Provides pictures and information about hydraulic mining (using jets of water to break down gold-laden gravel banks) for gold.
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Hart Stereoview #61, Hydraulic Mining
Provides pictures and information about hydraulic mining (using jets of water to break down gold-laden gravel banks) for gold.
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Cover Art
Carol Hurst uses one of her own books, "In Plain Sight," as a basis for this lesson plan on the California gold rush. In addition to discussion questions about the book, Hurst provides ten activities designed to help students explore...
Blackdog Media
Classic Reader: Von Kempelen and His Discovery
"Von Kempelen and His Discovery" by Edgar Allan Poe was written as a hoax to deter "forty-niners" from rushing to California in search of gold. Read the full text on this site.
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Etc: Maps Etc: Distribution of Population , 1850
A map of the United States showing the population distribution in 1850. The map is coded to show population densities ranging from under 2 inhabitants per square mile to over 90 inhabitants per square mile. The map illustrates the...