Book Series

What Was . . . ? Books

In order from What Was the Gold Rush? to What Was the Renaissance?.

Part of Who Was . . . ?.
What Was the Gold Rush?
What Was the Battle of Gettysburg?
What Was the Boston Tea Party?
What Was the March on Washington?
What Was Pearl Harbor?
chapter • 112 Pages
What Was the Gold Rush?
Series
Book #1

What Was the Gold Rush?

Written by Joan Holub and Who HQ & illustrated by Tim Tomkinson
8 - 12
Reading age
112
Page count
74
Words per page
Feb 7, 2013
Publication date
Paperback
$7.99
$7.59

Summary

In 1848, gold was discovered in California, attracting over 300,000 people from all over the world, some who struck it rich and many more who didn’t. Hear the stories about the gold-seeking “forty-niners!” With black-and white illustrations and sixteen pages of photos, a nugget from history is brought to life!

What Was . . . ? Series

Published from 2013 - 2025
70 books
YearTitleAuthorIllustratorPages
2013What Was the Gold Rush?Joan Holub, Who HQTim Tomkinson112
2013What Was the Battle of Gettysburg?Jim O'Connor, Who HQJohn Mantha106
2013What Was the Boston Tea Party?Kathleen Krull, Who HQLauren Mortimer112
2013What Was the March on Washington?Kathleen Krull, Who HQTim Tomkinson112
2013What Was Pearl Harbor?Patricia Brennan Demuth, Who HQJohn Mantha112
2013What Was the First Thanksgiving?Joan HolubLauren MortimerᐧJames Bennett112
2013What Was the Alamo?Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso, Who HQDavid Groff112
2013What Was the Underground Railroad?Yona Zeldis McDonough, Who HQLauren Mortimer112
2014What Was Pompeii?Jim O'Connor, Who HQJohn Hinderliter112
2014What Was Ellis Island?Patricia Brennan Demuth, Who HQDavid Groff112
2014What Is the Statue of Liberty?Joan Holub, Who HQJohn Hinderliter112
2014What Is the Panama Canal?Janet B. Pascal, Who HQTim Foley112
2014What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition?Judith St. George, Who HQTim Foley112
2014What Was the Hindenburg?Janet B. Pascal, Who HQDavid Groff112
2015What Was D-Day?Patricia Brennan Demuth, Who HQDavid Grayson Kenyon112
2015What Is the World Series?Gail Herman, Who HQDavid Grayson Kenyon112
2015What Were the Salem Witch Trials?Joan Holub, Who HQDede Putra112
2015What Was Hurricane Katrina?Who HQ, Robin KoontzJohn Hinderliter112
2015What Is the Super Bowl?Dina Anastasio, Who HQDavid Groff112
2015What Was the Great Depression?Janet B. Pascal, Who HQDede Putra112
2016What Was Woodstock?Joan Holub, Who HQGregory Copeland112
2016What Are the Summer Olympics?Who HQ, Gail HermanStephen Marchesi112
2016What Is the Declaration of Independence?Michael C. Harris, Who HQJerry Hoare112
2016What Were the Twin Towers?Jim O'Connor, Who HQTed Hammond112
2016What Was the San Francisco Earthquake?Thomas Hoobler, Dorothy Hoobler, Who HQTed Hammond112
2016What Was the Great Chicago Fire?Janet B. Pascal, Who HQTim Foley112
2017What Was the Age of the Dinosaurs?Megan Stine, Who HQGregory Copeland112
2017What Was the Wild West?Janet B. Pascal, Who HQStephen Marchesi112
2017What Is Rock and Roll?Jim O'Connor, Who HQGregory Copeland112
2017What Was the Ice Age?Nico Medina, Who HQDavid Groff112
2017What Are the Ten Commandments?Yona Zeldis McDonough, Who HQTim Foley112
2018What Was the Titanic?Who HQ, Stephanie SabolGregory Copeland112
2018What Is the World Cup?Bonnie Bader, Who HQStephen Marchesi112
2018What Is the Constitution?Patricia Brennan Demuth, Who HQTim Foley112
2018What Was the Holocaust?Who HQ, Gail HermanJerry Hoare112
2018What Is Climate Change?Who HQ, Gail HermanJohn Hinderliter112
2018What Is the Women's Rights Movement?Deborah Hopkinson, Who HQLaurie A. Conley112
2018What Were the Roaring Twenties?Who HQ, Michele MortlockJake Murray112
2019What Is the Stanley Cup?Who HQ, Gail HermanGregory Copeland112
2019What Was Stonewall?Nico Medina, Who HQJake Murray112
2019What Is NASA?Who HQ, Sarah FabinyTed Hammond112
2019What Was the Vietnam War?Jim O'Connor, Who HQTim Foley112
2019What Was the Berlin Wall?Nico Medina, Who HQStephen Marchesi112
2019What Were the Negro Leagues?Varian Johnson, Who HQStephen Marchesi112
2020What Are the Paralympic Games?Gail Herman, Who HQAndrew Thomson112
2020What Was the Bombing of Hiroshima?Jess Brallier, Who HQTim Foley112
2020What Is LEGO?Jim O'Connor, Who HQTed Hammond112
2020What Is the Civil Rights Movement?Sherri L. Smith, Who HQTim Foley112
2021What Is Nintendo?Gina Shaw, Who HQAndrew Thomson112
2021What Was the Age of Exploration?Who HQ, Jake Murray, Catherine Daly112
2021What Is Congress?Who HQ, Jill AbramsonDavid Malan112
2021What Is the Coronavirus Disease COVID-19?Michael Burgan, Who HQManuel Gutierrez56
2021What Is Black Lives Matter?Lakita Wilson, Who HQGregory Copeland56
2021What Are the Winter Olympics?Who HQ, Gail HermanJake Murray112
2021What Was the Plague?Roberta Edwards, Who HQDede Putra112
2021What Was the Harlem Renaissance?Sherri L. Smith, Who HQTim Foley112
2022What Are Castles and Knights?Sarah Fabiny, Who HQDede Putra112
2022What Is Juneteenth?Who HQ, Kirsti JewelManuel Gutierrez112
2022What Is the AIDS Crisis?Nico Medina, Who HQTim Foley112
2022What Is the Supreme Court?Jill Abramson, Who HQGregory Copeland112
2022What Was Reconstruction?Sherri L. Smith, Who HQTim Foley112
2023What Is the Women's World Cup?Gina Shaw, Who HQTed Hammond112
2023What Was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921?Caleb Gayle, Who HQTim Foley112
2023What Was World War I?Nico Medina, Who HQDede Putra112
2023What Was the Children's Blizzard of 1888?Who HQDede Putra112
2023What Was the Donner Party?Ben Hubbard, Who HQTim Foley112
2024What Were the Shark Attacks of 1916?Nico Medina, Who HQTim Foley112
2024What Was the Great Molasses Flood of 1919?Who HQ, Kirsten AndersonDede Putra112
2024What Is a Presidential Election?Douglas Yacka, Who HQ112
2025What Was the Renaissance?Roberta Edwards, Who HQGregory Copeland112

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