James Marshall
James Marshall was the foreman overseeing the construction of Sutter saw mill on the American river in California. On January 24th, 1848 Marshall found several shiny gold colored nuggets in the American River. Suspecting it was gold he took them to John Sutter. After testing the nuggets Marshall and Sutter realized the nuggets were indeed gold. Marshall had discovered gold on Sutter land. Marshall’s discovery changed the lives of many people and the
status of California.
James Marshall
-www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-jamesmarshall.html
status of California.
James Marshall
-www.legendsofamerica.com/ca-jamesmarshall.html
John Sutter
John Sutter played an important role in the California Gold Rush.
He migrated from Switzerland to the United States in 1834 to escape his many
depts. In 1839 he settled in California. At this time California was a territory
of Mexico. Sutter acquired 50,000 acres from the Mexican government in hopes to
get rich. Little did he know that his land was a gold mine. After America
won the Mexican-American war in 1848, Sutter built a fort near the American
River where hundreds of people worked and lived. Sutter also had a saw mill
built on the American River under the construction of James
Marshall.
John Sutter
-http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/suttersfort/pages/sutter.html
Below is a statement made by John Sutter that was published in the Hutchings' California Magazine, November 1857 - found on www.sfmuseum.net/hist2/gold.html
"By this sudden discovery of the gold, all my great plans were destroyed. Had I succeeded for a few years before he gold was discovered, I would have been the richest citizen on the Pacific
shore; but it had to be different. Instead of being rich, I am ruined, and the cause of it is the long delay of the United States Land Commission of the United States Courts, through the great influence of the squatter lawyers. Before my case will be decided in Washington, another year may elapse, but I hope that justice will be done me by the last tribunal — the Supreme Court of the United States. By the Land Commission and the District Court it has been decided in my favor. The Common Council of the city of Sacramento, composed partly of squatters, paid Adelpheus Felch, (one of the late Land Commissioners, who was engaged by the squatters during his office), $5,000, from the fund of the city, against the will of the tax-payers, for which amount he has to try to defeat my just and old claim from the Mexican government, before the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington."
He migrated from Switzerland to the United States in 1834 to escape his many
depts. In 1839 he settled in California. At this time California was a territory
of Mexico. Sutter acquired 50,000 acres from the Mexican government in hopes to
get rich. Little did he know that his land was a gold mine. After America
won the Mexican-American war in 1848, Sutter built a fort near the American
River where hundreds of people worked and lived. Sutter also had a saw mill
built on the American River under the construction of James
Marshall.
John Sutter
-http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/suttersfort/pages/sutter.html
Below is a statement made by John Sutter that was published in the Hutchings' California Magazine, November 1857 - found on www.sfmuseum.net/hist2/gold.html
"By this sudden discovery of the gold, all my great plans were destroyed. Had I succeeded for a few years before he gold was discovered, I would have been the richest citizen on the Pacific
shore; but it had to be different. Instead of being rich, I am ruined, and the cause of it is the long delay of the United States Land Commission of the United States Courts, through the great influence of the squatter lawyers. Before my case will be decided in Washington, another year may elapse, but I hope that justice will be done me by the last tribunal — the Supreme Court of the United States. By the Land Commission and the District Court it has been decided in my favor. The Common Council of the city of Sacramento, composed partly of squatters, paid Adelpheus Felch, (one of the late Land Commissioners, who was engaged by the squatters during his office), $5,000, from the fund of the city, against the will of the tax-payers, for which amount he has to try to defeat my just and old claim from the Mexican government, before the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington."