The Gold Rush decimated Native Americans. How the US whitewashed one of the bloodiest moments in history.

During the Gold Rush in the late 1840s and early 1850s, well-armed settlers were prepared to kill and carry out a genocide against Native Americans in California. These violent attacks against Native Americans were often supported and funded by the state's newly created government. The legislation was also used to strip Native Americans of legal rights and protections, such as through the ironically named Act for the Government and Protection of Indians in 1850.