The Gold Rush Impact on Native Tribes. For millennia a diverse population of Native American tribes thrived on the abundant lands of California. ... Contact with the new settlers brought about serious disruptions to the native way of life. The gold rush of 1848 brought still more devastation. read more
In 1848, gold was discovered in California. Within two years, some quarter of a million gold seekers had arrived from almost every country in the world, stimulating California's economy and forming multicultural communities that still exist today. The last great gold rush took place in the Klondike in 1897. read more
Within a few years after the end of the Gold Rush, in 1863, the groundbreaking ceremony for the western leg of the First Transcontinental Railroad was held in Sacramento. The line's completion, some six years later, financed in part with Gold Rush money, united California with the central and eastern United States. read more
Environmental Impact The Gold Rush had an effect on California's landscape. Rivers were dammed or became clogged with sediment, forests were logged to provide needed timber, and the land was torn up — all in pursuit of gold. read more