1

American Alligator

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

Did you know that American alligators are one of only two alligator species in the whole world ? China is the only other place with an alligator species, the Chinese alligator. Often confused with their relatives, the crocodiles and the caimans, alligators can be differentiated by the shape of their teeth, their round snouts, their darker color, and their preference for freshwater habitats. An inhabitant of tropical and subtropical wetlands, the American alligator can be found throughout the Southeastern U.S.

2

Nene

Image: Lyle Wilkinson

Also known as the Hawaiian goose, this bird can only be found in its wild state across the islands of Maui, Kauaʻi, Molokai, and Hawaiʻi . Believed to be distantly related to the Canada goose, the nēnē is considered the rarest goose species in the world and is a protected species. Thanks to successful conservation efforts, it has been reclassified from endangered to near threatened. It has also been designated as the official state bird of Hawaiʻi.

3

Common Raccoon

Image: Chris Ensminger

If you are asked to describe a raccoon, the common raccoon, native to North America, will most likely come to mind. The other two species of raccoon—also native to the Americas—present marked differences in color and size. Their name is derived from the Algonquian aroughcoune , meaning ‘he who scratches with his hands.’ The unusual shape of their thumbs, combined with their cleverness, allows them to open closed containers to access food and trash, which has earned them the nickname of "trash pandas." Due to human intervention, they have become a highly invasive species in European and Asian ecosystems.

4

Monarch Butterfly

Image: Alex Guillaume

One of the most recognizable butterfly species, the Monarch can be identified by its orange and black wings with white spots . Monarch subspecies can be found across the Americas, but the North American monarch is especially known for its remarkable migratory behavior. As winter approaches, monarch butterflies in the northern United States travel thousands of miles to overwintering sites in California and central Mexico. In spring, they will return home in time for summer.

5

North American Beaver

Image: Tim Umphreys

Though North American beavers are related to those found in Asia and Europe, their genetics are so different that they are unable to mix. North American beavers are generally larger and darker than their Eurasian counterparts , and they have a broader and longer tail. They are a widespread species across the Continental U.S., Canada, and northern Mexico and have been chosen as the official state mammal of Oregon and New York.

6

Bald Eagle

Image: Mathew Schwartz

Widely recognized as a national U.S. symbol and featured in multiple official imagery , the bald eagle came close to extinction in the late 20th century. Found across most of North America, it favors habitats near large bodies of water. Fun fact: bald eagles were named after the color of their head feathers, as the word ‘bald’ was anciently used for ‘having a white head.’

7

Alligator Snapping Turtle

Image: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Like the reptile it takes its name from, this pointy reptile is only found in freshwater habitats across the U.S. The spiky ridges on its shell give it an armored tank appearance, but these will flatten as the turtle ages. They have an extremely powerful bite , and they have been known for biting human fingers off, which makes them a dangerous animal that should be approached with caution.

8

Texas Blind Salamander

Image: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Unlike other entries on this list, this amphibian can only be found in a very specific place: San Marcos, Texas . Considered to be a critically endangered species, the Texas blind salamander lives in underground caves and streams and is highly sensitive to water pollution and droughts.

9

Coyote

Image: Dylan Ferreira

Also known as the American jackal or prairie wolf, the coyote fulfills a key role in North American ecosystems by helping regulate the population of smaller animals and consuming carrion that could otherwise spread disease. Somewhat friendly toward humans, coyotes play an important role in Native American folklore, and there are recorded cases of domesticated coyotes.

10

Giant Kangaroo Rat

Image: Harrison, George, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Although kangaroos are native to Australia, giant kangaroo rats are found only in California . Preferring dry, sandy habitats that allow them to dig burrows, these rodents are known for using foot stomps as a way of communicating. Due to habitat loss caused by agriculture, the giant kangaroo rat has been classified as an endangered species.

11

American Mink

Image: Alexandre Daoust

American minks can be found across Alaska, Canada, and the northern and central United States, both in the wild and on farms. Although they are not specifically bred to be tame, they are officially considered suitable to be pets if trained from a young age. Their introduction to many parts of Europe, Asia, and South America has harmed native species, and they have been classified as invasive in many of these regions.

1

Migratory frenzy

Image: George Henry Burgess, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The California gold rush triggered one of the largest mass migration waves in US history, with an estimated 300,000 people moving to the West Coast in just a few years . On January 24, 1848, a carpenter called James W. Marshall found gold at a sawmill in Coloma. The news reached the East Coast in August and, in December, President James Knox Polk officially confirmed it to Congress.

As a result, by early 1849, thousands of would-be prospectors —known as the ‘49ers’— started flooding the state every day. In January 1848, San Francisco had 800 residents; by the end of 1850 it had some 25,000 , many of them living in shacks and tents. Although most of the newly arrived were Americans, the gold rush attracted people from other parts of the world like Latin America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Thanks to this boom, California started to grow fast, building new roads, towns, churches, schools, and hospitals.

2

No place for a lady?

Image: Popular Graphic Arts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

People in the 19th century considered the California goldfields lifestyle a bit too harsh for women, so there is not much testimony of them being involved in gold-digging . Only 700 of the 40,000 people who arrived by ship to the San Francisco Bay in 1849 were women. Some came with their husbands and families, but others were just seeking adventure.

Many of the few women living in California around this time were widows. Men frequently died in mining accidents, disputes, and diseases and the women would be left alone and in need of a job. During the gold rush, women ran profitable businesses like sewing, laundry, food preparation, and boarding houses. Others would be in high demand to work in brothels and saloons, serving drinks to the hundreds of lonely gold diggers.

3

Millionaires overnight

Image: Hans

Well, not exactly overnight, but pretty quickly. Brothers John and Daniel Murphy were two adventurous early California pioneers who got into the history books for having mined about $1.5 million —around $56 million today— worth of gold in a year. Within a very short period of time, they became prosperous men and influential figures in the area.

The town of Murphys —about 140 miles East of San Francisco— is named after them and is considered one of the oldest and most important of all the Gold Rush camps in the Golden State . Nowadays, this charming little town is a must-stop for tourists on their way to the mountains looking to travel back in time.

4

Blue Jeans become popular

Image: SwellMap, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1853 a Jewish peddler called Levi Strauss arrived in California looking for sale opportunities derived from the Gold Rush. Does the name ring a bell? A couple of years later, with the help of a tailor called Jacob Davis, he invented the garment of choice for Forty-Niners and cowboys: the blue jeans . By the end of 1873, thousands of San Franciscans were wearing these iconic durable pants, and the name "Levi's" was registered as a trademark.

Although Levi Strauss didn't exactly get rich by mining gold, he found a way to earn a fortune from it. Blue jeans —originally called "waist-high overalls"— came to represent the untamed American West. Over the years, not only workers would adopt them: kids, women, and even Hollywood stars owned at least a pair. And now, over a century and a half later, blue jeans are still an international symbol of youth, freedom, and independence .

5

The first international financial crisis

Image: Zlaťáky.cz

In just a few years, the 1849-1855 Gold Rush radically transformed California, the United States, and the world. The influx of gold served as an accelerant for U.S. economic development and enabled massive investment in public buildings, schools, and the construction of a railroad across the country. However, by the mid-1850s the world economy was so interconnected that any event could cause an international crisis.

In 1857, a crash in British banks, the speculation on railroad stock, and the sinking of SS Central America —a ship transporting a huge amount of gold—, among other incidents, triggered the first international financial crisis, known as the "Panic of 1857" . As a result, the northern domestic economy took a significant hit. However, by 1859, the Panic began to level off, and the economy began to stabilize.

6

Mark Twain struck literary gold

Image: unattributed, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Did you know that one of the greatest American authors became a writer after failing as a gold miner? Samuel Clemens —a.k.a. Mark Twain—, was only one of the thousands of men who moved West during the Gold Rush in hopes of making a fortune . In 1861 he followed his brother Orion all the way to Virginia City, Nevada where he became a miner. Things didn’t go very well so he ended up working for the local newspaper, and started using the pen name by which he is remembered to this day.

Twain moved to San Francisco in 1864 and came in contact with other writers like Bret Harte and Artemus Ward. His experience in the American West inspired several of his works , such as The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (1865) —which brought him national attention— and Roughing It (1872). Although he didn’t become rich finding gold, Twain made a substantial amount of money through his writing.

7

Who really got rich?

Image: Unsplash

As romantic as it may sound, migrating to a new land to find gold and get rich does not necessarily mean instant success. In fact, only a few made their fortune mining gold . For most of the Forty-Niners, arriving in California during the rush was synonymous with disappointment. The lucky minority that found some gold went on expensive trips or wasted their money on poor-quality alcohol and food at the saloons of the American West, becoming broke pretty quickly.

The people who actually managed to amass some wealth during the California Gold Rush were the ones who took advantage of the opportunities surrounding the growth of cities and the financial bubble . For example, entrepreneurial merchants would open businesses to satisfy the demands of the newly arrived prospectors. America’s greatest industrialists, on the other hand, became millionaires by investing in real estate or the new railroads. Besides, in the years following the rush, mining was no longer done by adventurous individuals, but by big companies with new technology.

8

A city built out of ships

Image: G.F. Nesbitt & Co., printer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In the mid-19th century, a great number of ships arrived in California from all over the world packed with people in search of fortune. At the same time, the gold rush brought rapid growth and San Francisco soon became one of the world's great seaports, dominating shipping in the American West. These gold-seekers didn’t exactly have a return ticket, so lots of boats started to pile up on the Bay .

A few of these approximately 500 abandoned ships were sunk or buried and now can be found beneath the Embarcadero and Financial District . Others were repurposed to serve as storeships, saloons, and hotels, or their debris was used to build houses, jails, and banks. Even today, archeologists continue to discover fragments and entire ships underneath the streets of San Francisco.

9

Death Valley, a winter tragedy

Image: Marina Šurniene

Do you know where the "Death Valley" name comes from? This desert valley in the northern Mojave Desert, in Eastern California, is thought to be the hottest place on Earth. However, it was not named after its summer temps but for a winter disaster. It was a group of prospectors who got lost looking for a shortcut to the goldfields of California in the winter of 1849-1850, that gave Death Valley its grim name.

Even before the Gold Rush, California attracted settlers searching for a new life. In 1846, a group of pioneers known as the Donner Party became snowbound and nearly half of them eventually died of starvation and exposure. A few years later, although scared and forewarned by this experience, a new group ventured across the desert. While this time around the journey was not so deadly, they suffered a few mishaps that led them to nickname the area Death Valley.

10

Found gold? Have yourself a Hangtown Fry!

Image: Ivan Shemereko

According to the legend, this famous omelet cooked with bacon and topped with fried oysters was created in El Dorado Hotel in Hangtown —today’s Placerville— after a prospector claimed to have found gold. To celebrate, he demanded to be served expensive food, so the cook put together a dish with the fanciest ingredients he had at hand: eggs were delicate and therefore very valuable; bacon was shipped from the East Coast; and oysters were brought fresh from San Francisco, over 100 miles away.

Since then, the Hangtown Fry has continued to be served at many of the local restaurants . Although now you can find versions with onions, bell peppers, and spices, this iconic dish has remained practically the same as it was during the Gold Rush more than a century and a half ago. Have you tried it?

1

The Wilmer McLean paradox

Do you believe in fate? If not, maybe this story will change your mind.

When the Civil War began, Wilmer McLean was an ordinary 47-year-old man living with his family in Manassas, Virginia. But during the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, his house was taken over and used as Confederate headquarters. Hoping to escape the war, McLean moved his family 120 miles away to the quiet village of Appomattox Court House. It seemed like the perfect decision, until history caught up with him. Four years later, the war ended exactly where McLean thought he had found peace. On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, just in the parlor of McLean's new home. As McLean later joked, "The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor."

2

Lincoln's Confederate bill

On April 14, 1865, just five days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, President Abraham Lincoln was shot by actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth during a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.

When authorities searched Lincoln's pockets that night, they found the everyday items you'd expect: spectacles, a pocketknife, a handkerchief embroidered with his initials, a watch fob, a sleeve button, and a leather wallet. But one discovery stunned them. Inside the wallet was a Confederate five-dollar bill, the only currency Lincoln was carrying. Historians believe he picked it up as a souvenir during his recent visit to Richmond, the former Confederate capital.

3

Women disguised themselves to fight

It's well known that women played a vital role in the US Civil War, serving as nurses, spies, and organizers. Clara Barton, a famous example, brought supplies to wounded soldiers on the battlefield and later founded the American Red Cross. But there's another interesting female role that many people have never heard of.

We’re talking about the thousands of women who disguised themselves as men so they could fight. One of the best-documented was Sarah Emma Edmonds, who enlisted in the Union Army under the name Franklin Thompson. Serving as a soldier, nurse, and spy, she fought in major campaigns, including the First Battle of Bull Run and the Peninsular Campaign. After contracting malaria in 1863, she left her unit rather than risk being exposed in a military hospital and was charged with desertion. Years later, her fellow soldiers testified on her behalf, and in 1884, Congress granted her an honorable discharge and a military pension.

4

Brothers on opposite sides

The Civil War didn't just divide the nation; it tore families apart. Few stories capture that tragedy better than this one.

The sons of prominent Kentucky Senator and passionate Unionist John J. Crittenden, brothers Thomas Leonidas Crittenden and George Bibb Crittenden, both became generals… but fought on opposite sides of the war. George served as a Confederate major general, commanding troops at the Battle of Mill Springs, while Thomas became a Union major general, fighting in major campaigns including Shiloh, Stones River, and Chickamauga. While they never directly faced each other on the battlefield, their choices caused immense emotional and social fractures within their family. Both survived the war, and today, they are buried in the same Frankfort State Cemetery, finally reunited in the soil of their home state.

5

Standardized clothing sizes

When was the last time you had a suit or dress made just for you? Today, we simply walk into a store and buy the size that fits, but before the Civil War, that wasn't how Americans bought clothes.

Before the 1860s, most clothing was custom-made by tailors or sewn at home. But that became a major problem when the war began, and the Union suddenly had to outfit more than a million soldiers. Measuring and tailoring every uniform by hand was impossible. Instead, military officials collected thousands of body measurements, identified common size patterns, and created one of the first standardized sizing systems: Small, Medium, and Large. After the war, clothing manufacturers adopted the same templates for civilian garments, helping give birth to America's modern ready-to-wear clothing industry.

6

Postal home delivery system

Today, having letters and packages delivered right to your front door is so routine that we rarely stop to think about it. But for many years of American history, that convenience didn't exist.

Before the Civil War, Americans had to pick up their mail at the local post office. When the war began, families desperate for news of sons, husbands, and fathers crowded into post offices, often waiting for hours. Seeing the heartbreaking scenes, Cleveland postal clerk Joseph Briggs began delivering letters directly to people's homes, sparing families long waits and needless anguish. His neighborhood deliveries were such a success that they inspired Postmaster General Montgomery Blair and Congress to create the nationwide Free City Delivery Service on July 1, 1863.

7

The US first official paper money

Today, most of our money exists in a digital form. However, when we picture money, we still think of dollar bills and coins. They've been part of our lives for so long that it's hard to imagine a time when the US government didn't print paper money at all. But that time did exist.

Before the Civil War , the federal government issued no standardized national paper currency. It minted gold, silver, and copper coins, while Americans relied on thousands of different banknotes printed by private, state-chartered banks, many of them unreliable and prone to failure. Everything changed in 1861 , when the Union needed money to finance the war. Congress authorized the first federal paper currency, known as Demand Notes, followed by Legal Tender Notes in 1862. Americans soon nicknamed them "greenbacks" because of their green ink, a name that has survived ever since.

8

A town changing hands 10 times

Today, US Route 50 follows much of the old Northwestern Turnpike, a historic road linking Winchester, Virginia, with Parkersburg on the Ohio River. But during the Civil War, living along that route was anything but convenient.

Because the turnpike provided access to the Shenandoah Valley, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and key mountain passes, the town of Romney (now in West Virginia) became a strategic prize for both the Union and the Confederacy. As armies pushed forward and fell back, each side repeatedly captured and abandoned the town. While most cities and regions remained firmly on the same side for the entire war, historians generally agree that Romney changed hands at least 10 times, making it one of the most frequently occupied towns of the Civil War.

9

The war with the most Medals of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award for valor. During the Civil War, about 1,525 service members received it. That may not sound extraordinary… until you compare it with every major American war that followed.

The numbers are striking: 126 Medals of Honor were awarded in World War I, 464 in World War II, and 266 during the Vietnam War. A total of 856 combined, far fewer than in the Civil War alone. But there’s a reason for that. The Medal of Honor was created during the Civil War; at the time, it was the only US military decoration for valor. With no other awards recognizing battlefield heroism, it was presented under standards that were far broader than those adopted in later wars.

10

Can openers

It's hard to imagine a kitchen without a can opener. But surprisingly, canned food existed for decades before anyone invented it.

Although canned food had been around since the early 1800s, people often had to open cans with a hammer and chisel. That finally changed when American inventor Ezra J. Warner patented the first practical can opener in 1858. Even then, it remained a curiosity until the Civil War, when the huge demand for canned rations, including Gail Borden's condensed milk for Union troops, made it indispensable. The war turned the can opener from a strange invention into an everyday tool, paving the way for the handheld versions we still use today.