The gold fever of California was a social phenomenon that occurred in the United States between 1848 and 1855, characterized by the large number of immigrants who came to San Francisco (California) in search of this metal. This phenomenon began near the town of Coloma, when gold was discovered in Sutter's Mill. When the news of the discovery spread, around three hundred thousand people emigrated to California from the rest of the United States and other countries.
The effects of this sudden migration were spectacular. Before the gold rush, San Francisco was a tiny village, and with the fever the village became a city. Schools, roads and churches were built, and other towns were founded. A legal and governmental system was created, which led to the admission of California as a state of the Union in 1850. New means of transportation, such as the steamboat, entered service in the state, and railway lines were laid . The business of agriculture was also started, the second fastest growing item in California.
The gold rush also had other effects: the aborigines of the region were attacked and expelled from their traditional lands. The environmental impact that mining produced was also important.
