Everyone who headed west went camping. And with that camping there were campfires and tents and stories around campfires. There were songs and parties. There was dirt in every meal. The real reason for the Gold Rush of 1849 wasn't gold.
Historians believe it was all one, big excuse to go camping.
Which leads us to another little-known discovery in America. In 1849, Americans taught themselves how to tell a big lie in order to get away for an outdoor vacation, an invention now in common use by people everywhere. Since campers in 1849 needed to convince their family they should leave a settled life in the East and head west for several months of camping, they had to come up with a good excuse. Therefore, the Gold Rush of 1849 was one, giant alibi made to go camping. And now you know the facts about camping.