Man who found California gold died broke
<p><span word="Imagine">Imagine</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="Sutter">Sutter</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="luck">luck</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="necessarily">necessarily</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="luck">luck</span>.</p><p><span word="First">First</span>, <span word="some">some</span> <span word="background">background</span>:</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="San">San</span> <span word="Francisco">Francisco</span> 49<span word="ers">ers</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="professional">professional</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="football">football</span> <span word="team">team</span>. <span word="Its">Its</span> <span word="name">name</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="year">year</span> 1849, <span word="when">when</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="rushed">rushed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="California">California</span>, <span word="hoping">hoping</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="strike">strike</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="rich">rich</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="earlier">earlier</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sierra">Sierra</span> <span word="Nevada">Nevada</span> <span word="Mountains">Mountains</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="carpenter">carpenter</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="discovered">discovered</span> <span word="gold">gold</span> - <span word="great">great</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="nuggets">nuggets</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span> - <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="South">South</span> <span word="Fork">Fork</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="River">River</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="building">building</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sawmill">sawmill</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="John">John</span> <span word="Sutter">Sutter</span>.</p><p><span word="Sutter">Sutter</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Swiss">Swiss</span> <span word="immigrant">immigrant</span> - <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wanderer">wanderer</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dreamer">dreamer</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="tried">tried</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="ventures">ventures</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Europe">Europe</span>, <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="Midwest">Midwest</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="seeking">seeking</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="fortune">fortune</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fertile">fertile</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="largely">largely</span> <span word="undeveloped">undeveloped</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="central">central</span> <span word="California">California</span>.</p><p><span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="time">time</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1840<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="remote">remote</span> <span word="province">province</span> <span word="belonging">belonging</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Mexico">Mexico</span>.</p><p><span word="Sutter">Sutter</span> <span word="talked">talked</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="Mexican">Mexican</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="allowing">allowing</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="build">build</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fort">fort</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sacramento">Sacramento</span> <span word="River">River</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="protect">protect</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="envisioned">envisioned</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="agricultural">agricultural</span> <span word="empire">empire</span>. "<span word="New">New</span> <span word="Switzerland">Switzerland</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="carpenter">carpenter</span>, <span word="James">James</span> <span word="Marshall">Marshall</span>, <span word="found">found</span> <span word="gold">gold</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mill">mill</span> <span word="owned">owned</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="Sutter">Sutter</span> <span word="high">high</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Sierras">Sierras</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="boss">boss</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="decided">decided</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="secret">secret</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="hired">hired</span> <span word="men">men</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pan">pan</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gold">gold</span>. <span word="Instead">Instead</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="miners">miners</span> <span word="stole">stole</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="found">found</span>.</p><p><span word="Word">Word</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="discovery">discovery</span> <span word="spread">spread</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="before">before</span> <span word="long">long</span>, <span word="mobs">mobs</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="gold">gold</span>-<span word="seekers">seekers</span> <span word="descended">descended</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="River">River</span>, <span word="overrunning">overrunning</span> <span word="Sutter">Sutter</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="land">land</span>.</p>
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