Americans and the California Dream, 1850-1915 - Kevin Starr - Google Books

http://books.google.de/books?hl=de&lr=&id=vpMI4z-tDPMC&oi=fnd&pg=RA1-PA46&sig=wmZcuLaMRU98FaaDpqnjDst5Iok&dq=goldrausch#PRA1-PR1

Examining California's formative years, this innovative study seeks to discover the origins of the California dream and the social, psychological, and symbolic impact it has had not only on Californians but also on the rest of the country.