On January 24, 1848, James Marshall found a few bits of gold, less than an ounce, in the tailrace of John Sutter’s sawmill along the American River. Although gold had been found in California before, this discovery came at the right moment to bring sweeping change. News of the find circled the globe within months, setting off the California Gold Rush. In just a few short years, California changed from a remote destination into a place where fortunes could be made, transforming the West and the country, while also reshaping the landscape and affecting the Native Americans of the valley.