On 24 January 1848, James W Marshall, a carpenter working at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California, discovered flakes of gold in the American River.
This accidental finding set off a historic frenzy, attracting fortune seekers from across the globe and transforming the region overnight.
As news of Marshall's discovery spread, it unleashed the California Gold Rush, an event that would dramatically reshape the economic, social, and demographic landscape of the United States, laying the foundation for California's eventual statehood.
