Hey there!
Around the 1840s, thousands of people were attracted to California for the hopes of finding wealth after James Marshall claimed to have found flakes of gold in the rivers. This was known as the California Gold Rush which occurred between 1848-1855. Many of the people who had came to California for this purpose had sold most of their valuables including their home and cattle. Unfortunately, unlike their perception of traveling to California, instead of finding gold and becoming wealthy, many people became poor and found a harsh lifestyle up in the west.
Hope this helps and have a nice day!
