John A.
In the rough dealings of frontier capitalism in gold rush Cali.
He had amassed huge debts before the gold discovery and added even more afterward.
Sutter always claimed to be the victim of charlatans, but he bore considerable responsibility for his downfall.
Instead he lost his vast land holdings on the Sacramento and Feather Rivers and eventually left California penniless.
Sutter (1803-1880) could have become one of the richest men in California when gold was found on his property.
John A