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. When his father died in 1834, he headed westward, spending some time in Illinois and Indiana before settling in Missouri. There, he contracted malaria and at the advice of his doctor, he moved westward again.
In July 1845, he arrived in the Sacramento Valley and began to work for John Sutter as a carpenter. Fairing well there, he improved his economic prospects, purchasing a ranch, and began to raise cattle. In 1846, he joined John C. Fremont’s California Battalion and participated in the Bear Flag Revolt, a bid to seize control of California from Mexican control.
