USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -James Wilson Marshall (October 8, 1810 – August 10, 1885) was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, who on January 24, 1848 reported the finding of gold at Coloma, California, a small settlement on the American River about 36 miles northeast of Sacramento.

Detailed explanation-2: -The first person or civilization to discover gold is the Ancient Egyptians. They mined gold in Nubia around 2450 BC. An Egyptian alchemist named Zosimos was the first to find pure gold (24 centuries before Columbus reached the Americas).

Detailed explanation-3: -The gold discovery site, located in the still visible tailrace of Sutter’s sawmill in present day Coloma, California, is one of the most significant historic sites in the nation. In 1848, James W. Marshall found shining flecks of gold in the tailrace of the sawmill he was building in partnership with John Sutter.

Detailed explanation-4: -Gold was first discovered in California by James Marshall at Sutter’s Mill near the city of Coloma. James was building a saw-mill for John Sutter when he found shiny flakes of gold in the river.

Detailed explanation-5: -Many people in California figured gold was there, but it was James W. Marshall on January 24, 1848, who saw something shiny in Sutter Creek near Coloma, California. He had discovered gold unexpectedly while overseeing construction of a sawmill on the American River.