On the morning of January 24, 1848, California belonged to Mexico and was predominantly ranch land. Then, lumber mill inspector, James Marshall, discovered flakes of gold in the mill’s watercourse and launched one of the largest migrations in human history. Over 200,000 people from around the world poured into California to seek their fortunes, harvesting over seven million pounds of the precious metal over the course of fifty years! This led to the acquisition of California by the United States, contributed to the start of the Civil War, sparked the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad, and ultimately gave us the state we celebrate for its entertainment value and fabulous, out-of-touch wealth!