James W. Marshall was the man who discovered gold in California in 1848, setting off the rush that would go down in history as the California Gold Rush. This biography tells his story, from his early life in New Jersey to his adventures in California and his ultimate disillusionment with the gold rush and the effects it had on the region.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.