Take a look at and lend an ear for primary sources featuring the California Gold Rush. Men and women from around the world landed in the United States and flocked to the west coast in search of nuggets of gold.

This photo shows an enormous gold nugget. Known as the Mojave Nugget, it weighs 156 ounces and is the largest gold nugget found in California. Gold is a precious metal with the chemical symbol Au. For more information on gold, check out...