John Sutter: Sutter's Fort and the California Gold Rush

Considered a hero, pioneer, adventurer, fugitive, explorer, forty-niner, and soldier, Captain John A. Sutter's story is a fascinating one. Students will learn about how Sutter came to own 50,000 acres of land in California, how he built Sutter's Fort, and became extremely powerful and wealthy. Students will read about how the California gold rush began by the discovery of gold on Sutter's land. While this would cause his empire to crumble, it assured him a place in America's history.