John Bidwell, a farmer, wrote an account of life before and after this event.
John Bidwell, a farmer, wrote an account of life before and after this event. Because of this event, one man was unable to start his dream of creating the agricultural empire of New Helvetica. It was brought to the public's attention after publisher Samuel Brennan ran through the streets shouting about the American River. People who participated in this event were called Argonauts, and could either round Cape Horn, go through disease infested Panama or use the same trail that the Donner Party used. This event began when James Marshall made a discovery at Sutter's Mill. For 10 points, name this event that began in 1849, which saw many prospectors travel to a certain western state in search of fortune.
John Bidwell, a farmer, wrote an account of life before and after this event.
California gold rush [or gold rush of 1849 before mentioned, or the discovery of gold in California, or any clear equivalents, prompt on "gold rush" ]