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Why was James Marshall important to the gold rush?

Why was James Marshall important to the gold rush?

James Marshall is a similar character in history. In January 1848, as Marshall was building a sawmill, he discovered gold in the American River and sparked the California Gold Rush, one of the greatest mass migrations of people in American history.

What was Marshall doing before he discovered the gold?

James Marshall’s discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in California in 1848, started the California Gold Rush. Born in 1810, Marshall followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a skilled carpenter and wheelwright.

Why did John Sutter want the discovery of gold on his land to be a secret?

Why did John Sutter want to keep the news of the discovery of gold quiet? One reason was that John feared that if the news got out, that his mill would never be finshed. The other reasons were that he thought with all the people, cattle would stampede and crops would be trampled.

Who was James W Marshall and what did he do?

James W. Marshall. James Wilson Marshall (October 8, 1810 – August 10, 1885) was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, who reported the finding of gold at Coloma on the American River in California on January 24, 1848, the impetus for the California Gold Rush. The mill property was owned by Johann…

What date did James Marshall discover gold?

James Wilson Marshall (October 8, 1810 – August 10, 1885) was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, who reported the finding of gold at Coloma on the American River in California on January 24, 1848, the impetus for the California Gold Rush.

Where was James w.marshall’s farm located?

Marshall (married 1808) in Hopewell Township, New Jersey (then part of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, currently part of Mercer County) on October 8, 1810. The family homestead was known as the Round Mountain Farm and is still known as Marshall’s Corner.

How did James Marshall change the course of California history?

Each night Marshall directed the river’s flow through the millrace to allow erosion to deepen the channel and carry away the debris from the previous day’s work. On January 24, 1848, during his regular morning inspection, he made the discovery that would change the course of California and even American history.