Discusses how the discovery of gold led to the settling of California, describing mining life and the settling of the rest of the United States. The United States has been shaped by the people and events of if it?s past. This series vividly describes events that determined the course of U.S. history and introduces young readers to the people who influenced these events. The easy-to-read text, historic photographs, suggested activities, and clear, simple maps help bring to life the causes of these events, their effects on people at the time, and their significance today. This book tells the story of life in the mining camps and the new cities that sprang up. It also explains how Americans from the eastern United States spread across the entire continent, settling the land and claiming it as their own.