California Gold Rush Quiz

What is the term for someone who starts a new business, especially during the Gold Rush?

• Miner

• Entrepreneur

• Banker

• Farmer

What was the main material used to make coins during the Gold Rush?

• Iron

• Silver

• Gold

• Bronze

What is a "gold rush"?

• A slow migration of people

• A rapid flood of people into an area where gold has been discovered

• A type of gold mining technique

• A festival celebrating gold

What term was used to describe the gold miners who arrived in California?

• Forty-niners

• Gold seekers

• Prospectors

• Pioneers

Which city is an example of a boomtown during the gold rush?

• Los Angeles

• San Francisco

• Sacramento

• San Diego

Which groups of people were living in California before the gold rush?

• Only Native Americans

• Mexicans and British

• Only Chinese and Russians

• Only African Americans

What happened to towns when gold was discovered nearby?

• They became ghost towns

• They grew rapidly into boomtowns

• They were abandoned

• They became military bases

What is gold described as in the text?

• A common mineral

• A unique mineral with great worth

• A type of rock

• A type of plant

What did the original miners do to extract gold?

• Used dynamite

• Panned for gold

• Built large machines

• Dug deep wells

Which decade did the California Gold Rush start?

• 1840's

• 1850's

• 1860's

• 1870's