California Gold Rush

Examine the Gold Rush through the eyes of two people who made their way to California a few weeks apart and explore the far-reaching impact the Rush had on the nation's economic, geographic, and psychic landscape.

The military actions and achievements of three men resulted in annexation of California, but the particular exploits and controversies of John C. Fremont stand out.

See how Gold Fever really panned out with little-known nuggets of truth about untold greed, vigilante justice, dangerous and destructive practices, and even secret societies still in existence today.

The massive rush to the Klondike began on July 16, 1897, when the Steamship Excelsior arrived in San Francisco carrying enough gold to pique the curiosity of citizens affected by economic hardship.

The colorful, chaotic history of the City by the Bay, from rough-and-tumble frontier town to sophisticated cosmopolitan city.

By enabling people, money, and mail to travel back and forth to even the most remote boom towns, the stagecoach and Pony Express helped the U.S. to grow at an unprecedented pace.

Learn the real story of how gold made millionaires of a few, but spelled disaster for most of the fortune seekers who were lured to the hills.

Get a closer look at the lives of the men, women, and children who packed hopes, dreams, and pots and pans into the backs of rickety Conestoga wagons and trail-blazed their way into Western lore.

Follow the stories of some of the great characters of the Gold Rush era through interviews with men and women who grew up in its aftermath and outstanding footage of the landscapes of the Klondike.