California Gold Rush | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica
California Gold Rush, rapid influx of fortune seekers in California that began after gold was found at Sutter's Mill in early 1848 and reached its peak in 1852. According to estimates, more than 300,000 people came to the territory during the Gold Rush. John Augustus Sutter. The discovery of gold on Sutter's land in 1848 started the ...