Calisphere: University of California Libraries
Univ. Of California: Calisphere: Gold Rush Era: Diversity in the Changing State
Explore original images depicting scenes of ethnic diversity in California during the Gold Rush years.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Van Valen's Gold Rush Journey
In this superb interactive exhibition, students explore primary resources and learn about the reasons people left their homes to search for wealth during the California Gold Rush. Van Valen, along with four other men, set out in 1849 to...
Read Works
Read Works: Westward Expansion the California Gold Rush
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the discovery of gold along the West Coast. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Calisphere: University of California Libraries
University of California: Calisphere: Gold Rush Era: Murder and Mayhem
A collection of primary source materials and informational text that looks at law and order in the "wild west" of California, identifying changing ethnicity in a growing population seeking gold and other resources.
Sacramento Bee
Gold Rush: Mother Lode Now Strikes Gold in Tourism
This CalGoldRush.com site contains an article on the effects that the California gold rush has on California's tourism. Many people still come from far lands to get a glimpse of what is was like to be a gold miner.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Metaphorical Gold: Mining the Gold Rush for Stories
In this lesson plan, learners will consider "Metaphorical Gold: Mining the Gold Rush for Stories." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
The History Cat
The History Cat: The California Gold Rush
Describes the events that led to the California Gold Rush, the lives of the miners, the discrimination faced by Chinese immigrant miners and African Americans, the women who mostly stayed behind when their husbands went west as well as...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1865 1898: The American West: The Gold Rush
Describes the impact of the California Gold Rush of 1848 which brought hundreds of thousands of gold-seeking migrants to the region. This massive influx of people to a place with little law enforcement and no infrastructure led to...
Vocabulary University
My vocabulary.com: Gold Rush California
This page has a variety of vocabulary puzzles and activities using 19 words pertaining to the Gold Rush in California. It also offers an extensive Vocabulary Word List of 286 words, and ideas for lesson plans on the topic.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Klondike Gold Rush
A learning module that begins with "Klondike Gold Rush," accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher and student...
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, students will see how these laws fit into this great historical time.
University of Washington
Klondike Gold Rush: The Perilous Journey North
An easy-to-understand exhibit highlights the stampeders' journey north to the Klondike gold fields.
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.
Oakland Museum of California
Gold Rush: Stories of the Lure and Legacy
Experience the Gold Rush through this multimedia presentation. See the art that reflects the environment, characters, and the role of women in the gold rush. Listen to an overview of the gold rush and its impact.
Other
Alaska Gold Rush Centennial Photographs
This resource has posted numerous gold rush images with a brief description. Click on the various subjects to view historic photos of these early Alaskan towns and folks.
Sacramento Bee
Gold Rush: Fortune Smiled on Many Black Miners
This CalGoldRush.com site discusses the triumphs African American's had during the California gold rush. Many blacks were able to purchase their freedom and the freedom of their families back home.
Sacramento Bee
Gold Rush: Chinese Transformed
This CalGoldRush.com site discusses the role of the Chinese immigrants during the gold rush in California and the mark they made on history.
Oakland Museum of California
Gold Rush: Curriculum
A great site to find lesson plans, connections to state standards, and curriculum links to the California Gold Rush. Offered by the Oakland Museum of California.
Kidport
Kidport: The California Gold Rush (1848 to 1859)
From here, access simple write-ups on the San Francisco Gold Rush. Topics covered include: "Life of a 49er," "Foreign Miners," "Law and Order," and "After 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.
Sacramento Bee
Gold Rush: On Your Mark, Get Set, Gold
This CalGoldRush.com site is an article that discusses where people came from, as well as the number of people involved in the California gold rush. The article focuses on the massive migration to California.
Sacramento Bee
Gold Rush
A four part analysis of the California Gold Rush: Gold! An Era Remembered, At Work & Play, Chasing a Dream, and A Lasting Impact.
Museum of the City of San Francisco
Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco: Gold Rush Chronology 1846 1849
A nice timeline of events that occurred from 1846 to 1849 in the California Gold Rush. Hyperlinks to additional information. From the Virtual Museum of the City of San Francisco.
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