How The California Gold Rush Led To Levi's Jeans

The California Gold Rush kicked off shortly after January 1848 when a carpenter from New Jersey named James Wilson Marshall found gold flakes near the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. At the time, Marshall was doing work building a water-powered sawmill for John Sutter. After finding the gold, the two men tried to keep it

The California Gold Rush kicked off shortly after January 1848 when a carpenter from New Jersey named James Wilson Marshall found gold flakes near the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. At the time, Marshall was doing work building a water-powered sawmill for John Sutter. After finding the gold, the two men tried to keep it a secret, but to no avail. Soon, word got out, and history was made in California and the United States. "It made my heart thump, for I was certain it was gold," Marshall stated regarding his discovery (via History).

Shortly after word got out of the gold in California, thousands of experienced and inexperienced miners flocked to California, hoping to gain the same wealth as many had before them. The rush hit a high point in 1852, and overall over $2 billion worth of gold was discovered. The movement altered California's population so much that by the end of 1849, the non-native population of California was around 100,000, compared to around 800 in March 1848, according to History.

The population influx brought opportunity in more ways than just gold, and business owners began to thrive in the area. Many who made their way to California did so to capitalize on the wealth of options and opportunities for their business' income. One of these individuals was Levi Strauss.

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