Select response that best summarizes the information found in both texts. Gold is the Earth's greatest resource. People travel f
ar and wide in order to obtain gold. California is home to the greatest amount of gold in the United States. Traveling to California is extremely easy, especially by boat. Those who want to take a more majestic and scenic route should choose to travel by covered wagons. In the mid 1840s many people made the difficult journey to California in an attempt to strike it rich. The discovery of gold made the West a popular destination. People traveled 2000 miles across the country in covered wagons facing terrible weather conditions. Those who chose to travel by boat also faced treacherous sea conditions. Unfortunately, even those who did find gold did not become instantly wealthy because of the costs of travel and living accommodations. Prospectors had to face John Sutter and James W. Marshall, who were not happy that people were invading their land. They watched people arrive from Hawaii, Mexico, Peru, Chile, and China, searching for gold. Many American men also caught gold fever and came with dreams of wealth and prosperity. If prospectors stayed, they had to pay a lot of money. Prospectors who traveled by boat faced seasickness, boredom, storms, and dangerous currents. Those traveling overland passed through rivers and endured horrible weather conditions. Once prospectors arrived in California, they faced the hard work of digging through rocks and standing in cold water to pan for gold. Many lived in tents by the river or in violent mining camps.
