California Gold Rush | The Forty Niners | 2
American History Tellers
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The Golden Age of the Gold Rush
In 1849 alone, miners extracted 17 tons of gold from the mountains of California. The influx of so much wealth transformed the cities around the mines. San Francisco saw its population swell from 800 to 30,000 in just three years. Many people slept in tents or lean-tos, and crime was rammed. Most buildings were ramshackle and made of cheap, flimsy materials.
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