| Britches |
pants or trousers |
| California |
the 31st state (admission to the US on September 9, 1850) |
| Forty-niner |
the nickname for a person who went to California to seek gold in 1849 |
| Free state |
a state in which slavery is against the law |
| General John Sutter |
a German-born settler; gold was discovered on his land (sawmill)…while the others made a fortune, the discovery of gold on his land, led to his financial ruin |
| Gold fever |
when someone heard about the gold discovery in California and wanted to “rush” west to get rich, they were said to have “gold fever.” |
| James Marshall |
the foreman at the construction site of Sutter’s Mill who claimed to be the first person to discover gold |
| Miner |
a person who takes mineral deposits (such as gold) from the earth |
| Mule |
a hybrid breed of animal created by crossing a female horse with a male donkey |
| “panning” for gold |
a simple way of separating gold dust or nuggets from earth using a shallow pan; by swirling water over the soil and pouring and off the lighter particles, the heavier gold was left at the bottom of the pan |
| port |
the town or harbor where ships anchor |
| Prairie |
broad, level (or rolling) land, usually covered with a coarse grass and few trees |
| President James K. Polk |
11th president of the U.S. who favored westward expansion; when gold was discovered, he encouraged many people to take the trip to California |
| Prospector |
an explorer, especially someone looking for mineral deposits (gold) |
| Rattlesnake |
a poisonous snake with a “rattle” at the end of its tail |
| Rocker |
a wooden device that was rocked back and forth to “wash” dirt at a faster pace than panning (also known as a cradle) |
| Side-saddle |
the position on a horse or mule (with a special saddle, or seat) in which both legs are on one side of the animal; this position was usually favored by women in skirts |
| Staking a claim |
during the gold rush, this meant declaring a portion of land as your territory to mine; often accomplished by driving a stake into each corner of your claim |
| Wagon train |
a group of wagons (four-wheeled vehicles drawn by horses, mules, or oxen traveling together over land |
