The Gold Rush By liam0126 Mar 1, 1848 Gold is first found in California! Period: Mar 1, 1848 to Mar 31, 1855 The California Gold Rush Dec 5, 1848 Polk mentions reports of gold in his inaugural address. Jan 8, 1849 Sutter`s Mill sells lots near the river to miners. Jun 23, 1849 Two gold nuggets as heavy as 25 lbs. were found in the American River. Apr 13, 1850 California passes a law that makes miners buy a gold mining license for $20. Sep 9, 1850 The recorded population of California is 90,000. Sep 9, 1850 California becomes an official state of the United States of America. Nov 13, 1851 The miners tax is repealed because of miner protest. May 12, 1852 The current population of California hits over 250,000. Nov 13, 1852 The mining gold law fee is brought back but decreases from $25 to $3. Mar 13, 1855 The miners tax is raised to $6. Jun 13, 1855 Hydraulic mining is used to loosen the sediment where gold might be, the excess water destroying farmland.