Courage of the 49ers: A Story of the California Gold Rush

It is the summer of 1849 and the California Gold Rush is on! Along with thousands of excited gold seekers, twelve-year old Lena Brown and her family have just arrived in Sacramento. Follow Lena as she meets some of the key figures in early California history, including John Sutter, James Marshall and Pierson B. Reading. You will learn about life in Old Sacramento and the wild new gold boomtowns of Coloma, Nevada City and Shasta.As the adventure begins, Lena makes new friends like William Boils, who recently lost both of his parents. William introduces Lena to Cho Ming-Wun, a Chinese boy. Lena also meets Joshua Smith, known as ＂Jumpin’ Josh＂ to his friends. Josh teaches Lena how to pan for gold. Finally, see how Lena learns about Native Americans and their life during the Gold Rush, as she visits a Wintu village.

Al M. Rocca is Faculty Advisor for the CalStateTeach program at California State University, Monterey Bay. His ＂Courage in History＂series includes Explorer Courage, Pilgrim Courage, Patriot Courage, and Aztec Courage. In addition, he has adapted several classic works for use in the classroom. These titles include Chumash Courage, Blockade Runner, and Stories of Early American Presidents.