Final answer:
A person who sought gold in California in the mid-1800s, particularly in 1849 during the Gold Rush, is called a Forty-Niner. They were drawn by the allure of quick riches but often found mining for gold more challenging and less rewarding than expected. Option number d is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term for a person who sought gold in California after its discovery in the mid-1800s, specifically in the year following the onset of the California Gold Rush, is a Forty-Niner. These individuals, mostly men, traveled to California in 1849 with hopes of striking it rich by finding gold.
The California Gold Rush led to the rapid population growth of the area and the eventual statehood of California, as well as to cycles of boom and bust in the mining industry.