5 8 the search for land, gold, and a new life

The Search for Land, Gold, and a New Life Fascinating Facts • Nearly $2 billion in gold was mined in California before widespread mining stopped • Besides California, gold rushes occurred in Australia (1851), British Columbia (1858), Nevada (1859–60), Colorado (1850s and 1890s), South Dakota (1876–78), and South Africa (1886) • The word touchstone means a test that shows if something is real The original touchstone was a black stone that, when rubbed with a piece of gold, showed if the gold was pure Genre Nonfiction Comprehension Skill Compare and Contrast Text Features • Sidebars • Captions • Song Scott Foresman Social Studies ISBN 0-328-14898-9 ì