Other
California Gold Country: No Place for a Woman?
Information about women in the California gold camps.
Other
Gold, Greed, & Genocide: The Story of California's 1849 Gold Rush
Use the table of contents to explore this site which recounts the plight of the Native Americans who lived in California before the Gold Rush and the impact of the gold rush on their lives.
Other
The Object of History: Behind the Scenes With Curators of the Nmah: Gold Nugget
Take a look at and lend an ear for primary sources featuring the California Gold Rush. Men and women from around the world landed in the United States and flocked to the west coast in search of nuggets of gold.
Other
Gold Rush Chronicles: The Pony Express
At this comprehensive site, students learn about the first cross-country mail courier service in the United States, the Pony Express.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Searching for Gold: A Collaborative Inquiry Project
Contains plans for six lessons that ask students to research the Gold Rush before teaching each other about it. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the lessons as well as...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Mining Boom
The allure of getting rich quick by finding gold or silver was just a dream for most prospectors. Read about the gold and silver rushes that usually ended up enriching the mining industry, not the miner. Find out about the make-up of the...
Books in the Classroom
Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site: In Plain Sight
Carol Hurst uses one of her own books, "In Plain Sight," as a basis for this lesson plan on the California gold rush. In addition to discussion questions about the book, Hurst provides ten activities designed to help students explore...
Read Works
Read Works: Gold Rush
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about a man who found a buried treasure in England. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Arizona
Review this site for interesting Arizona facts and learn more about the Grand Canyon.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Memory: Montana
Who were the first white explorers to "set foot in Montana?" Find out more about the Native American population living in Montana. Draw on the experience of the Native American population.
Other
California State Parks: Gold Rush Overview
Get basic facts about the 1848 discovery of gold by John Marshall at Sutter's Mill and the subsequent Gold Rush in California and American history.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Westward Expansion and Reform
Part of a longer time line describing the history of the American West, this section covers the period 1829 to 1859 with hyperlinks to stories and people of this time period.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco: San Francisco History
This site from the Museum of San Francisco provides a list of links to events that happened in San Francisco from 1846-1864 including many links about the Gold Rush.
Huntington Library
Huntington Library: Land of Golden Dreams: California in the Gold Rush
A rich site on the California gold rush, 1848-1858. An online exhibit traces the gold rush using primary sources, a teacher page gives lesson plans from 4-12 and a kid's page offers further online adventures. Takes a long time to load.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco: The Gold Discovery
This site contains information on the dramatic impact of the California Gold Rush. From "The History of California," published in 1897.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: Period 6: 1865 1898
This Khan Academy resource provides a table of contents with notes for several sections of AP US History: Period 6: 1865-1898.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1865 1898: Indian Wars and Battle of Little Bighorn
Discusses the series of events and conflicts in the Indian Wars that culminated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, or Custer's Last Stand. Includes questions for students at end.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Economic Spotter: Supply and Demand at the Gold Rush
During the Gold Rush, people paid exorbitant prices for ordinary objects. Why? Because of the laws of supply and demand, that's why! In the instructional activity, learners will see how these laws fit into this great historical time.
Orca Book Publishers
Orca Book Publishers: Jo's Journey Teaching Guide [Pdf]
Jo's Journey, a novel by Nikki Tate, follows the adventures of an orphan girl named Jo as she heads north disguised as a boy to look for gold during the Caribou Gold Rush. This teacher's guide includes a book summary, teaching ideas and...
Library of Congress
Loc: Teachers: Journeys West
A series of lessons utilizing primary texts, including narratives, photographs, and maps, through which students explore the following question: "What motivated thousands of people to journey west during the 1800s?"
Other
California State Military Museum: Mariposa Indian War, 1850 1851
The California State Military Museum has captured the history of the Indian Wars. This is a synopsis of the Mariposa Indian War which occurred between 1850-1851, the best known battle during the Gold Rush years.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Gold Panning
Have students simulate the Gold Rush by panning for gold in the classroom.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Us History: 1865 1898: Quiz 1
A five-question quiz mainly over westward expansion in the late 1800s.