Southeast U.S. Gold – A Rich Mining History

The exploration for gold in what is now the southeastern United States has a long and colorful history. Sixteenth century Spanish explorers began the search for the precious metal but it was not until 1799 when the first documented discovery of gold in the U.S. was made in North Carolina. This 17-pound nugget led to North America’s first gold rush in the Carolinas and Georgia and was the young nation’s primary source of gold until the great California gold rush in 1849. Mining continued, however, throughout the southeast until World War II and is evidenced by thousands of old shafts and pits.