Not long after Mexico and the U.S. signed a treaty, news that gold had been discovered in northern California spread, and Californios like Coronel began digging.
By 1850, the idea that the extermination of the native population of California was inevitable had been firmly settled in the minds of many white Californians.
The native tribes of California saw themselves as stewards not owners of the land. The white settlers who arrived during the Gold Rush brought a different view.
For some, gold brought tremendous wealth, for others, devastating financial ruin. But its ramifications went well beyond the economic sphere — it also changed the face and shape of America at breakneck speed.
