"Gold! Gold! Gold from the American River!" said Samuel Brannan, as he ran through the streets of San Francisco waving in the air a bottle of gold dust he had purchased at John Sutter's Fort. The discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 sparked one of the most pivotal events influencing American history in the early 19th century, the Gold Rush. The Gold Rush of 1849 (1848-1855), also known as the California Gold Rush, was one of the most captivating events of westward expansion. The Gold Rush of 1849 is also a seminal event that impacted not only California, but the United States as a whole and individuals around the world. Thus, despite industrious workers and their slim chances of improving their lifestyle, California is defined by its promise of industrial success and its acceptance and inspiration of the realization of the American dream. Before the Gold Rush of 1849, California's first inhabitants were Native Indians. California was home to approximately 275,000 Native Californians, including the Pomo, Chumash, Mojave, Karok, Yuma, Paitute, and Shoshone. Spain had decided to colonize California, also known as the "Sacred Expedition", which began in early 1769. This expedition consisted of two miniature ships carrying soldiers, missionaries, livestock and supplies, known as San Carlos and San Antonio. while the other two groups traveled overland. Missionaries play a vital role in California history, as they built 21 missions along the California coast and converted the majority of native Californians to Catholicism. As New Spain gained its independence from Spain in September 1821, California, now part of...... middle of paper ......graphy. "Mining Techniques of the Sierra Nevada and Gold Country. Np, nd May 16, 2014. .Snowy Range Reflections.Snowy Range Reflections.Jean F. Blashfield 26.Barbara Saffer, The California Gold Rush (Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2003) 49.Barbara Saffer 49.Walton Bean and James J. Rawls 126. United States. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Washington: GPO, 1848. Barbara Saffer 51-52. The Old West: The Forty-Niners (New York: NY: Time-Life Books, 1974) 106.Margaret Rau 96.Judy Monroe 36-38. “California Gold Rush (1848-1858).” Harvard University Library Open Collections Program: Immigration to the United States, 1879-1930, n/a May 17. 2014. .