Final answer:
A good year for an Alabama yeoman working with "white gold," or cotton, would be during the high cotton prices of the 1850s, before the American Civil War, despite the financial crisis of 1837. The California Gold Rush starting in 1848 wouldn't have been favorable for those better versed in agriculture than mining.
Step-by-step explanation:
When referring to "white gold" in Alabama, this term is likely referencing cotton, not precious metals. The time period that would have been good for an Alabama yeoman working with cotton would be prior to the American Civil War, particularly the 1850s, as it was a time of high cotton prices and agricultural prosperity for cotton growers in the southern United States, often referred to as the "Cotton Kingdom."
However, the year 1837 marks a significant downturn with the Panic of 1837 leading to a financial crisis and plummeting cotton prices, making it a less likely candidate for prosperity for the yeoman farmer.
The California Gold Rush began in 1848 and attracted many prospectors, but by the time many arrived in California, the easy-to-reach placer gold had been exhausted, requiring more expensive hydraulic mining techniques that were out of reach for individual miners. Hence, a yeoman from Alabama, likely more familiar with agriculture than mining, wouldn't find this period of gold hunting to be especially profitable or well-suited to their skills.
Considering the boom of the Cotton Belt and the rush of investments and land speculation, the period leading up to the Civil War, specifically the 1850s, would have likely been an exceptionally profitable time for an Alabama cotton farmer.