USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The “49ers” is the nickname for those who flocked to northern California in 1849 hoping to take advantage of the gold rush. The influx of opportunists was a boon for California’s economy, and hastened its admittance into the union in 1850.

Detailed explanation-2: -"Forty-niners” flocked to California during the Gold Rush. Pioneers came to California by land and by sea from other parts of America and the world. The result was new wealth and a dramatically increased and diverse population. Small settlements grew into cities, business boomed, and California became a state in 1850.

Detailed explanation-3: -Because the gold in the California gravel beds was so richly concentrated, early forty-niners were able to retrieve loose gold flakes and nuggets with their hands, or simply “pan” for gold in rivers and streams.

Detailed explanation-4: -Polk confirmed the early discoveries in late 1848 that the Gold Rush ignited in the United States. The tens of thousands who rushed to California in 1849 came to be called the Forty-niners. Altogether, they numbered about 80, 000. By 1853 the number of fortune seekers would rise to 250, 000.