While gold mining itself proved unprofitable for most diggers and mine owners, some people made large fortunes, and merchants and transportation facilities made large profits. In the 19th century, the wealth that resulted was distributed widely because of reduced migration costs and low barriers to entry. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Greece, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile, South Africa, California, the United States, and Canada while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere. Ī gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold-sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals-that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune.

The fastest clipper ships cut the travel time from New York to San Francisco from seven months to four months in the 1849 California Gold Rush. For other uses of the term 'gold rush', see Gold Rush (disambiguation) and California Gold Rush.