The gold rush seems like a romantic time, full of everyday people following a dream to California and striking it rich. The reality was that most people lived in poor conditions, ate bad food, and found just about nothing. In this book, readers find out what life was like for the forty-niners and immigrants that headed to California to seek their fortune as well as the causes and effects of the gold rush. The main content and fun fact boxes support the social studies curriculum and are paired with historical photographs and illustrations that show life during the gold rush.