Books with title John Sutter: California Pioneer

John Sutter's entrance into American history began because of a rocky situation. He fled Switzerland in search of riches, leaving behind his wife and young children, because he owed people a great deal of money. After bartering his way from New York to the West Coast, Sutter started a settlement in California along the Sacramento River. The Gold Rush changed Sutter's life forever. Primary source documents and lively sidebars help tell this story of a man who made his mark on America.

John Sutter's entrance into American history began because of a rocky situation. He fled Switzerland in search of riches, leaving behind his wife and young children, because he owed people a great deal of money. After bartering his way from New York to the West Coast, Sutter started a settlement in California along the Sacramento River. The Gold Rush changed Sutter's life forever. Primary source documents and lively sidebars help tell this story of a man who made his mark on America.

The poignant story of the Swiss immigrant who worked his way to California to seek riches is told through the use of primary source images. Once settled in the fertile area around Sacramento, California, Sutter attempted to establish a utopian community of settlers. The community of workers he amassed remained vital and loyal to Sutter until the first sighting of gold was confirmed on his land in 1849. As his workers left his employ to seek their own fortune, Sutter's cultivated land was destroyed, and his herds were butchered by squatters. By 1852, he was bankrupt.