Final answer:
Petroleum was not discovered in California when the gold miners came in 1849. The discovery of gold in California occurred in 1848, while petroleum was, successfully drilled commercially, in 1859 in Pennsylvania.
Step-by-step explanation:
No, the statement is false. Petroleum was not discovered in California when the gold miners came in 1849. Petroleum was first successfully drilled commercially in the United States in 1859, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, by George Bissell and Edwin L. Drake. The discovery of gold in California occurred in January 1848, when a worker at John Sutter's sawmill stumbled upon gold. This led to the California Gold Rush, where thousands of people migrated to California in search of gold. So, the discovery of gold in California actually preceded the discovery of petroleum.