On 5 December 1848, President James K Polk delivered a message to Congress that would alter the trajectory of the United States forever.
He confirmed the discovery of gold in California, substantiating reports of abundant riches that had been circulating for months.
This announcement ignited the spark for the California Gold Rush of 1849, drawing thousands of fortune-seekers to the region in hopes of striking it rich.
Polk's confirmation transformed California into a focal point of global migration and economic ambition, accelerating its path to statehood and reshaping the nation’s history.
