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Nevada County is webbed with some of the richest veins of goldbearing quartz in the world. First discovered in 1849 as placer gold washed into creek beds, hydraulic miners later used massive jets of water to melt mountains and free the precious metal. Rich lodegold districts such as Grass Valley and Nevada City were the most productive in California, and innovations such as hydraulic mining began here and spread throughout the nation. Whimsical names like You Bet, Red Dog, Rough and Ready, French Corral, and Blue Tent hint at the colorful beginnings of dozens of camps that grew from wild and chaotic tent towns to bustling young communities, complete with schools, churches, and businesses. Boomtowns North San Juan, North Bloomfield, and Columbia propelled Nevada County to the head of the state's economy by 1900 and hundreds of miles of gold-bearing quartz veins continued to be tapped in underground tunnels for another 50 years or more. ... Read more

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Traces the history of the gold rush in California and discusses its impact on the development of that state. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (5)

Amazing
After reading this book I realized that Sarah Royce was an amazing woman.Her book simply states how she and her family traveled to Ca. for the Gold Rush and what they did once they arrived.A must read for anyone interested in Ca. history.

Historian Rates This Book at5 Stars
As a historian an author of the book: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MISCELLANY, I rate this book with 5 stars for its excellent overview and in-depth look at the true lives of women who came to California during the Gold Rush. This is not a book filled with the fanciful notions of a romantic's point of view. No, this is a gut-wrenching look at the realities of pioneering California and the women who tamed the wild land and the wild men!

A Great Woman of Faith
I selected this book from a list given in my college English class. The list of books were all nonfiction so I knew it would be a book based on fact. I knew nothing more. As I read, I could not put this book down. The story takes place beginning in Iowa the year 1849. "Gold fever"was born. The Royce family was on the move from their home to the greatgolden state of California. Sarah has more passion, faith, and drive thanI've ever seen in a book. She is an example indeed of strength and innerpeace throughout many challenges in a small amount of time. I was sograteful to see this book is still in print! It was first published in 1932never meant to be a book at all.It was Sarah's gift to her son. She wroteabout her journey using her journal she kept as they traveled. I will buythis book not only for my children, but for gifts as well. By the way,Sarah and her family end up living here, in the Sierra Foothills, and thatis where I live! I've never read a story about the Gold Rush or the 49er's.I always thought it would be too depressing. There are sad times in thisbook, but as you read you can't help but believe with Sarah that they willbeat all the odds.

Excellent Social History, an enjoyable read
This little gem of a book should be on the shelves at every library.Aside from the likable Sarah, the wonderful social history is very absorbing for those interested in women's lives during the 1850's. Even ifyou are not particularly interested in the Gold Rush, you will beinterested in the experiences of one of our formothers. Buy this as a giftfor your daughters.

Joy Melcher, Civil War Lady Magazine

True story of Sarah and family going to California in 1849.
Sarah with husband and daughter, Mary, move to California in 1849.Trusting the God of the Bible, the Royces experience life (and almost death) on the trail to California.Second to the last party to complete the trip into northern California before winter, they eventually settle in Grass Valley.Her son, Josiah Royce, becomes the famous Harvard historian and philospher with new ideas (Royce Hall of UCLA), but his mother, Sarah, retains her faith in the God of the Bible.First hand look at San Francisco and northern California in the 1850's.Sarah is my great-great grandmother and Mary, the little girl in the story, is my great-grandmother.Easy reading and great book to take on a plane.We buy and give these books to many guests at our company ...they are very popular. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from American Review of Canadian Studies, published by Association for Canadian Studies in the United States on September 22, 2004. The length of the article is 890 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Nature of Gold: An Environmental History of the Klondike Gold Rush.(Book Review)
Author: Jerry Green
Publication: American Review of Canadian Studies (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2004
Publisher: Association for Canadian Studies in the United States
Volume: 34Issue: 3Page: 566(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from California History, published by Thomson Gale on March 22, 2004. The length of the article is 1555 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Rush For Riches: Gold Fever And the Making of California.(Riches for All: The California Gold Rush and the World)(American Alchemy: The California Gold Rush and Middle-class Culture. Cultural Studies of the United States)(Book Review)
Author: Douglas E. Kyle
Publication: California History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2004
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 82Issue: 2Page: 72(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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A World Transformed gathers together the writings ofearly European explorers, missionaries, sea captains and othervisitors, from the first Spaniards to glimpse San Francisco Bay in1769 to the eve of the gold rush. In 15 literate and accessibleaccounts by Father Juan Crespi, George Vancouver, Richard Henry Dana,Jr., Edwin Bryant and others, the transformation of San Francisco (andby extension, all of California) unfolds before us. A land ofbountiful and open meadows, oak woodlands, plentiful game, andcountless distinct groups of native people becomes dominated by aSpanish mission and presidio. A Mexican town grows up and eventuallybecomes a small city inhabited largely by Bostonians and other Anglomerchants, engaged in trade with the Clipper ships of the EastCoast. Modern California emerges, not suddenly but perhaps inevitably. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Gives a great picture of life on the west coast at the time
Paddison put together a great collection of first-hand accounts from contemporaries settling the west coast. The bulk of the book is made up of excerpts from contemporary personal journals and publications. Each excerpt is prefaced with an introduction to the author and some context provided by Paddison, and throughout the book the editor occasionally interjects to correct errors, to elaborate, for example, on a person referred to in the text, or to provide present day names for a location name no longer in usage today.

It is a very interesting and readable book, which I enjoyed a lot more than I do most historical accounts. If you have any interest in California history, this is absolutely worth your time.

A World Brought to Life
In A World Transformed, Editor Joshua Paddison compiles 11 eyewitness accounts of California before the Gold Rush of 1849.

The accounts are as diverse as the landscapes they describe.From San Francisco to Santa Barbara, readers experience the journals and travelogues of a variety of people, ranging from Russian fur trappers, to Spanish Missionaries, to American merchant sailors.Not only does each description render beautiful landscapes, but forgotten customs, occupations, and ideas about the world are effortlessly presented.

Paddison is a skilled Editor.Somehow he managed to find and assemble several historical documents that read like suspenseful fiction.

History comes to life!
In this accessible and engrossing anthology, editor Paddison portrays a pre-gold rush California that is familiar to today's Californians--diverse, contested, ever-changing. The book's firsthand accounts, framed by helpfulintroductions, bring to life the experiences of the missionaries, Indians,explorers, and homesteaders who populated early California. Highlyrecommended to anyone interested in the development (and transformation) ofthe American West.

fascinating first hand accounts
The eye-witnesses to the early California missions left remarkably detailed accounts of mission-life from the perspective of european outsiders. The section by George Vancouver was a great find. These accountsare compiled in a way that flows very naturally from both a chronologicaland stylistic view. I enjoyed reading this book very much and would highlyrecommend it to my fellow Californians and others interested in this periodof history. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Searching For the Pursuit of Wealth In the Gold Fields.
Between the Louisiana Purchase in 1806 and the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861, the one event which most influenced Americans was the California Gold Rush, which began in 1848.This wasn't the first time in history when gold had been discovered in the nation.There was a gold rush when ore was found in North Carolina in the 1820s and Georgia in the 1830s.

The first gold nuggets at John Sutter's flour mill in California was discovered in January, 1848, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, creating the Gold Rush later that year.On December 31, 1850, gold sold on the world market for $20.67 per ounce.On December 31, 2004, (154 years later) the price of gold had skyrocketed to $455.75 per ounce, more than twenty times as much.With that kind of money involved, it was no wonder that the Gold Rush was a history-changing event.

This book explores the political activities of that time from New York, Ohio, Missouri, and on to Coloma, outside Sacramento City.By January 27, when James Marshall discovered the gold at Sutter's Fort, President James K. Polk was negoiating a treaty with Mexico to make California a state. The treaty was signed on February 2, 1848.There were two treaties which led to California's independence from Mexico and its surrender to America.The first was signed in Los Angeles on January 13, 1847.

When, on December 5, 1848, "the most trusted man in the Union, the president ... had finally proclaimed the discovery of gold in California real," the American character changed."It looked like Polk's treaty was a bargain.In St. Louis, an invisible gate stood at the boundaries of civilization was opened."Regardless of the president's policies, what no one in the world of the 1850s disagreed with was that "the president told the truth."President Polk's statement assured the rest of the world that gold had been discovered in California, "and neither [Zachary] Taylor nor his successor [Millard] Fillmore said anything to the contrary.

People left their homes and families behind for the California Gold Rush.One in four never made it back."From 1848 to 1850, ninety thousand people trekked across the continent to the mining camps.Between 1848 and 1852, the population of that state was two hundred thousand with more arriving every day, some from other countries.By 1868, the country had recovered its collective breath and was ready to move forward."Once again, the seed of the new American Dream, planted by Marshall and Sutter, was about to blossom.There was an expectation now that prosperity was just around the corner."

Meanwhile, most of the nation's attention was focused on Washington, where President Andrew Johnson was being impeached by a reactionary Congress, in 1868 following the diastrous end to the Civil War.Johnson had succeeded Lincoln on April 14, 1865.The war had ended on April 9 when General Lee presented his sword to General Grant at Virginia's Appomattox Courthouse.The man who "turned the tide, who cut the Confederacy in half and thus ended the war, was a survivor of the Gold Rush, William Sherman."

It was President James K. Polk's State of the Union Address in December 1848, the one historical document that set the Gold Rush in motion by confirming for the world James Marshall's discovery there at Sutter's Mill which was destroyed by the multitude of prospectors.

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David Baer Hackman (1827-1896) a Mennonite from Millport, Lancaster County, PA, traveled west to California in 1850, seeking his fortune during the great Gold Rush. David wrote many letters home concerning his crossing of the plains by wagon and his many detailed experiences in and around the gold fields of California. A vivid writer for such a young man, David captures images of the mining communities, the boom towns of Sacramento, Hangtown, Mokelumne Hill, Columbia and Sonora and the lawlessness found there. He writes of early San Francisco, the local Indians, trouble with bears, and the great trees of Calaveras County. His journal then captures his return trip in 1854 by steam ship to Panama, across the Isthmus and then to New York City. Lawrence Knorr presents the journal and letters in sequence along with their historical context, providing corroborating accounts where available. In all, an excellent primary source and piece of social history from one of the most exciting times in American history. This volume is 194 pages. ... Read more

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Material culled from letters, diaries, and other firsthand accounts reconstructs the experience of people involved in the Gold Rush, showing not only what propelled them westward but how they met the challenges of their journey. 35,000 first printing. ... Read more

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Much of what has been written about the Fraser and Cariboo gold rushes of the mid-nineteenth century is narrowly local in outlook, not intended to connect the events that brought British Columbia into being with the larger forces then at play. In River of Gold, George Fetherlingoffers a concise and readable narrative of these crucial episodes in the history of the province, the West and Canada as a whole. He describes the individuals who endured unavoidable hardships asthey sought elusive success, and sets their activities in the context of politics, economics and international affairs. He shows, for example, how the Fraser rush of 1858 led to the creation of the colony of British Columbia and gave the later province of the same name many of its distinguishing features.The gold rushes made the world aware of BC s riches and natural beauty, bringing with them mass migration and the province s first experience with multiculturalism a test it passed, but with two deplorable exceptions: the wave of anti-Chinese sentiment that first found expression in mining camps up and down the Fraser, and continuing racism toward First Nations people. They also brought about its boom-or-bust resource-based economy, and led to an unfortunate tradition of political polarization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Vivid recreation of a vanished world
Zanjani brings the vanished world of the goldrush to life with a masterful blend of vivid details concerning key lives and scenes together with a sophisticated understanding of the demography and geology of the miningcamp. Wonderful! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful slice of American History
Excellent detailed description of one mans journey across the country to
California in mid-19th century. Makes you long for the days when people really took writing to heart.

Detailed, but lacking in personal touches
This is definitely an excellent gold rush diary.It is very detailed and well-written by a man with obvious intelligence.However, compared to "The World Rushed In" it is really lacking in those personaltouches that make the diary more "gripping."Dr. Lord's writingis a bit clinical in comparison, which doesn't hold the reader's attentionso well when describing the more monotonous details of his journey. ... Read more

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This book is the story of Clara Brown, an ex-slave in gold rush Colorado. The book was published in 2003 and is the exciting, true story of the woman who became one of Colorado's best known figures, honored after her death with a stained glass window in Colorado's capitol, a new work premiering in 2003 at the world famous Central City Opera House. ... Read more

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From 1846 to 1857 Mormons played a crucial role in shaping events in California and the West. They were the first American settlers of San Francisco, and without them, John Sutter might not have built his sawmill and thus discovered gold in 1848.

In Gold Rush Saints, Kenneth N. Owens combines narrative history and documentary accounts to reveal a hidden wealth of California and Mormon history. The first-person accounts of pioneer Mormons, both men and women, offer new perspectives on myths and realities of gold rush California. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Gold Rush Saints
Very well researched history of the Mormons in the Gold Rush era.It has helped me with information for my next book.

Mormon social and political confrontations
From 1846-1857 Mormons shaped events in California: they were the first American settlers of San Francisco. Narrative history blends with documentary accounts on California Mormon history: first-person accounts of early pioneers provide new insights on gold rush history and experiences. Chapters survey social and political controversies of the time between Mormons and between Mormons and other groups, examine the roles they played in settling California and overcoming the state's isolation, and include insights from the pioneers themselves. An excellent addition to California history.

An extensively researched history
Volume 7 of the "Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier", Gold Rush Saints is an extensively researched history drawing heavily upon documents and primary sources to chronicle the role that Mormons played and the effect they had in California during the Gold Rush era. The text is scholarly in tone yet accessible to lay readers as it presents exciting stories of travel, cooperation, success, and destitution. Focusing especially upon influential and charismatic Mormon personalities, the hardships they endured and the legacies they contributed to, Gold Rush Saints is a welcome and seminal contribution to American and California history shelves.
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This guide which presents facts and tips for the visitor to 19th-century California attempts to cover centuries of history in a few pages. As well as general information on a particular aspect of society, it contains useful tips for the traveller, providing details of that historical time. ... Read more