MAPPING AND GEOGRAPHICAL WORLD

Sacramento, California had a later start in U.S. history. The first settlement in the town was Sutter's Fort in 1839, when John Sutter received a 48,000 acre land grant from Mexico. In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, about an hour East of Sacramento, and the 'California or Bust' 1849 gold rush was on, America's greatest migration West. Sacramento flourished as the largest settlement in the gold region. In 1854, Sacramento became the capital of California. The Pony Express made the city the Western Terminus of its route from Saint Joseph, Missouri in 1860. The nation's first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869 with Sacramento as the West end of the line. Sacramento also became a port city by way of the Sacramento River connecting to San Francisco Bay.