The History of the California Gold Rush: Panning for Fortune

Get smarter in just 60 minutes with in60Learning. Concise and elegantly written nonfiction books and audiobooks help you learn the core subject matter in 20 percent of the time that it takes to listen a typical audiobook. Life is short, so explore a multitude of fascinating historical, biographical, scientific, political, and financial topics in only an hour each. This audiobook tells the story of how one gold nugget found in the American River changed the course of California history forever. The man who found it wasn't too happy, but the businessman who caught wind of it - Samuel Brannan - was thrilled. He spread the word that gold could be found in California soil, triggering a mass migration of workers who made the dangerous trek to California. Most of the men who made their fortunes during this time were not the 49ers panning for gold, however, but men like Brannan who sold supplies to gold seekers. The state of California was forever changed by the boom and bust of the Gold Rush that brought the world to its doorstep.