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James W. Marshall strikes gold at Sutter's Mill, igniting a migration that swell
Featured Event 1848 Event

January 24

Gold at Sutter's Mill: The West Rushes In

James W. Marshall strikes gold at Sutter's Mill, igniting a migration that swells California's population from 14,000 to over 300,000 in just three years. This sudden influx forces the territory straight into statehood and reshapes the nation's economic balance by flooding the market with precious metal.

January 24, 1848

178 years ago

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