The 49ers and the California Gold Rush ThoughtCo
#0183;#32;The Gold Rush of 1849 was sparked by the discovery of gold in early 1848 in California''s Sacramento Valley. Its impact on the history of the American West during the 19th century was immense. Over the next years, thousands of gold miners traveled to California to quot;strike it rich,quot; and, by the end of 1849, the population of California had swelled by more than 86,000 inhabitants.