Forty Niners

Most miners did not strike it rich during the Gold Rush. Many lost all of their money looking for gold. Many miners stayed in California after the Gold Rush, though, which made the population grow.

Some people did get rich during the Gold Rush. Store owners and businessmen made money selling supplies to the miners. One famous example is Levi Strauss, who sold denim pants to miners. Strauss made millions of dollars, and his company is still around.

12 million ounces of gold were mined during the Gold Rush years, which would be worth about $20 billion dollars today. California's population grew by 300,000 between 1848 and 1855. Many migrants came from other parts of the world. For example, nearly 20,000 Chinese miners arrived in California during the Gold Rush. In 1850, California was admitted as the 31st state.