1

Taxation without representation - District of Columbia

Image: Jen Theodore

The DMV in Washington, D.C., has featured "Taxation Without Representation" on the city's license plates since the late 1990s. This is because people living in D.C. don't have a voting representative in Congress , so, yes, they're taxed without representation.

The reason for this dates back to when the Founders of the country decided that the yet-to-be-built Federal City, located on the Potomac, would operate above and beyond any regional, state, or city politics, remaining completely neutral regarding the laws being created. Therefore, there is no representative in Congress.

2

The Last Frontier - Alaska

Image: Elijah Macleod

There is not much mystery as to why license plates in Alaska feature the nickname "The Last Frontier." Once, the frontier was the continental West. Once the West was won, Alaska became the last frontier.

Along with this nickname, the license plate also features a flag with stars, which represent the Big Dipper and Polaris (the North Star). They respectively symbolize strength and Alaska's northern location.

3

Constitution State - Connecticut

Image: Davlat Radjabov

While some people might think that the nickname showcased on the Connecticut license plates is about the document that laid the groundwork for American democracy, the truth is different.

"The Constitution State" in this case refers to a set of local government rules from around the year 1639, called the Fundamental Orders. Similar? Yes, but not the same.

4

The First State - Delaware

Image: Liam Matthews

"The First State," the nickname showcased on Delaware’s license plates, references a fact that the state is proud to boast— as it should: it was the first state to ratify the US Constitution before any other state on December 7, 1787.

The nickname wasn't official until a first-grade class made the suggestion in 2002. As it sometimes happens, kids get it before everybody else.

5

Land of Lincoln - Illinois

Image: Richard Hedrick

Another proud statement showcased on the state’s license plates is printed on every Illinois plate: "Land of Lincoln" refers to the fact that, even though he was born in Kentucky, Honest Abe lived in the state capital, Springfield, from 1837 to 1861.

The 1954 plates were the first to feature this nickname, which continues to be used today.

6

The Crossroads of America - Indiana

Image: Tracy Adams

The state of Indiana has numerous interstates crossing its borders, namely I-65, I-69, I-70, and I-74 , and the nickname on its license plate is a direct reference to this. Actually, as it happens in many instances, this nickname is the state’s motto, which became official in 1937.

The current plate design, which features one of the covered bridges the state is known for, is a little cartoonish but has more character.

7

Sportsman’s Paradise - Louisiana

Image: Tim Mossholder

Some states have had the clever idea of advertising and promoting their features on their license plates. Cars bearing these signs travel all over the country, making them a perfect advertising vessel.

Such is the case for Louisiana, which is a region abundant with spots to fish and hunt . Its license plate is inscribed with one of the state’s nicknames: "Sportsman’s Paradise."

8

Support Wildlife - Maine

Image: Ashes Sitoula

Another state that attracts visitors with its natural diversity and makes good use of its license plates to promote this is Maine, with its "Support Wildlife" plate. This slogan not only invites people to visit but also advocates for environmental protection. This double function is a great use of space and resources, and it should be copied by other states’ license plates.

9

The Spirit of America - Massachusetts

Image: Beng Ragon

If there is no space for the full motto, why not go with an abbreviation, right? At least that was the reasoning for the good people of Massachusetts. Along with a patriotic color scheme, Massachusetts's license plate features the slogan "The Spirit of America." The phrase is a shortened version of the state's former motto: "The Spirit of Massachusetts is the Spirit of America."

10

Unbridled Spirit - Kentucky

Image: Jen Theodore

The last entry on our list goes to Kentucky and its poetic motto proudly showcased on its license plates. According to local authorities, " Kentucky is a place where spirits are free to soar and big dreams can be fulfilled . We relish competition and cherish our champions for their willingness to push beyond conventional boundaries to reach new heights of success."

In any case, this beautiful statement adorns the license plates of many Kentuckians.

1

Gold Rush myths bubbled up immediately

Image: Tomáš Malík

It didn’t take long for the truth to get buried. As soon as gold was discovered, the stories started to shimmer. Tales of instant wealth, golden boulders, and rivers gleaming with nuggets.

Letters home were often exaggerated, and newspapers sensationalized every find. These myths fueled the frenzy and caused proverbial FOMO all over the world. People wanted to see it for themselves.

2

The best Western business wasn’t in fact gold

Image: Stefan Münz

If you wanted to get rich during the gold rush, you had better chances opening a store than mining. That was the golden rule for smart entrepreneurs like Levi Strauss, who didn’t strike it rich in a streambed, but in a sewing room. Another legend, Samuel Brannan, made a fortune selling picks, pans, and shovels —not gold.

3

The "49ers" were actually latecomers

Image: Emilie

The famed "49ers," the nickname for those swept up in the gold frenzy in 1849, weren’t the first on the scene. There’s a plot twist. Gold was discovered in January 1848 at Sutter’s Mill.

But the news spread slowly . By the time the world caught on, most of the easily accessible gold had already been plucked from riverbeds by locals, soldiers, and early arrivals.

4

Thousands came from China and South America

Image: rc.xyz NFT gallery

The Gold Rush was a global stampede . Tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants crossed the Pacific, some bringing generations of mining knowledge with them. Others came from Chile, Peru, and Mexico, arriving in San Francisco to find opportunity.

5

Women were there not just as camp followers

Image: Michael & Diane Weidner

Women were there too, not just as wives, but as businesswomen, cooks, hoteliers, and even miners. Take Luzena Wilson, a widow who hauled her children west and set up a boarding house for miners. Her clean beds and hot meals turned into a booming business.

Others ran laundries, tended bar, or staked their own claims. In a lawless land where survival meant creativity, many women found fortune in hard work.

6

Some came from Hawaii, Russia, and Europe

Image: Trey Hollins

They called them " Argonauts ," a romantic nod to the Greek myth of Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece. And like the legend, the real Gold Rush was international. Adventurers came not just from the American East, but from as far as Russia’s Pacific coast, the Hawaiian Islands, and every corner of Europe.

7

Gold Rush towns became ghost towns

Image: Stefan Münz

Take Bodie, for example. A lawless hotspot where saloons outnumbered schools. At its peak, it had over 10,000 residents. A few decades later, it was all tumbleweeds and creaky wood .

Once the gold ran out, so did the people. Tools were abandoned and whole towns vanished almost overnight, leaving behind eerie remnants.

8

The "Gold Fever" spread worldwide

Image: suradeach saetang

Once word of gold reached distant shores, "gold fever" spread around the world . Australia had its own rush by 1851. The Klondike in Canada followed in the 1890s, and South Africa’s rich deposits turned Johannesburg into a boomtown in the 1880s.

Prospectors chased hope, not just gold. Each new report of found gold sparked a fresh migration, with fortune-seekers packing up and heading to the hot spots.

9

Gold mining required team effort

Image: Elena Mozhvilo

Forget the image of the lone prospector whistling by the river . That only worked for a short time.

As surface gold dried up, miners turned to hard labor, which involved blasting rock, diverting rivers, and eventually using powerful water cannons in a process called hydraulic mining. It was expensive. Teams of men pooled resources, hired help, and invested in equipment.

10

Many "Gold Seekers" never even made it to California

Image: James Lee

Getting to California in the 1840s was no stroll through the prairie. Hundreds of the hopefuls who set out never arrived. Some perished on the overland trails due to disease, accidents, or exhaustion.

The sea route around Cape Horn was no solution; it was just longer and colder. Some turned back. Others settled in Oregon or Utah. A few found fortune far from the gold fields.

11

The "Gold Rush" fueled California's statehood

Image: Emre Ayata

In 1848, California was a sleepy outpost with little U.S. oversight. By 1850, it had boomed into a booming, brawling land with more than enough people.

The rush had brought merchants, farmers, lawyers, and politicians. With them came the push for schools, railroads, and laws. California skipped the usual phase of being a U.S. territory and leapfrogged straight into statehood.

12

Women and children wrote some of the best eyewitness accounts

Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art

Some of the most vivid details of this era came from women and children who chronicled the chaos . Their letters and diaries tell of lonely cabins, muddy streets, makeshift schools, and the daily drama of camp life.

Women like Louise Clappe (aka "Dame Shirley") wrote witty, unfiltered dispatches from the Sierra Nevada. Young girls described the thrill of arriving in San Francisco and the terror of crossing the plains.

13

The Gold Rush didn't end in 1850

Image: Michael & Diane Weidner

By the time most folks arrived, the easy pickings were gone, and the story was just getting started.

The gold fever didn’t vanish in a year. Prospecting surged well into the 1850s and beyond. Some of the biggest strikes, like Nevada’s Comstock Lode in 1859, came after the main rush was supposedly over. By then, mining had evolved into an industrial enterprise, with machinery, corporations, and deeper digs.

1

Lewis & Clark

Image: James Lee

Also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, the Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase . This group of U.S. Army and civilian volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark set out from Illinois, on May 14, 1804.

They crossed the Continental Divide of the Americas near the Lemhi Pass, eventually coming to the Columbia River, and the Pacific Ocean in 1805. The return voyage ended on September 23, 1806.

2

George Wheeler

Image: Alex Moliski

The leader of the Wheeler Survey, George Montague Wheeler, was an American pioneering explorer and cartographer who led one of the major geographical surveys of the western United States in the late 19th century.

In 1872, the US Congress planned to map the portion of the country west of the 100th meridian . This plan became known as the Wheeler Survey, which lasted until 1879 when the Wheeler, King, and Powell Surveys’ combined work was reorganized as the United States Geological Survey.

3

The Donner Party

Image: Naithen

The Donner Party was a group of pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846-1847 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada .

While the journey west usually took between four and six months, the Donner Party chose to follow a new route called the Hastings Cutoff, which delayed them greatly.

4

Mark Twain

Image: Jim Strasma

Mark Twain was never one to shy away from adventure. Roughing It was published in 1872. It follows his travels through the American West from 1861 to 1867, when he joined his brother Orion Clemens, appointed Secretary of the Nevada Territory, on a stagecoach journey west.

5

John Muir

Image: Mathilda Khoo

The "Father of the National Parks" was a Scottish-born American explorer, naturalist, author, botanist, and early advocate for the conservation of the nation’s wilderness.

After spending much of his youth traveling across the country, Muir visited Yosemite and was enthralled by its natural beauty . Later on, he worked as a shepherd for a season in the valley, built a cabin, and began advocating for the creation of a national park to protect the area.

6

Jack Kerouac

Image: Ana Viegas

Probably one of the most famous entries on this list, Jack Kerouac’s 1947 cross-country hitchhiking round-trip became the basis for On the Road , a freeform travelogue that became the bible of the Beat Generation.

His roundtrip started and ended in New York, passing through Chicago on the way out to California, following the West Coast south before returning east.

7

John Steinbeck

Image: Jack Anstey

In 1960, John Steinbeck decided to travel across America setting out from his Long Island home aboard his camper van, dubbed Rocinante, and accompanied by his French poodle, Charley . In 1962, he published Travels with Charley: In Search of America .

Their 10,000-mile-long trip passed through New England, then via Niagara Falls along the Canadian border, hitting Chicago and continuing to Seattle before turning south towards the Salinas Valley, then to Texas, New Orleans, and a huge chunk of the Deep South.

8

Tom Wolfe

Image: Geio Tischler

Long before writing The Bonfire of Vanities , Tom Wolfe embarked on a trip across the country with a group of psychedelic enthusiasts known as the Merry Pranksters. The trip produced his 1968 nonfiction book, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test .

9

William Least Heat-Moon

Image: Aaron Huber

William Least Heat-Moon lost his wife and his job as a professor in a short period of time, which prompted him to embark on a soul-searching journey across the country . The result was 1982’s Blue Highways , a novel that describes the experiences he had during his travels, including conversations with colorful characters, the towns he visited, and his adventures on the road.

10

Michael Paterniti

Image: Tim Trad

Imagine driving across the country with the brain of one of the world’s most celebrated geniuses in the backseat . That is exactly what Michael Paterniti experienced and shared in his 2000’s Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein’s Brain .

The author started his quest in New Jersey, driving the doctor who performed Einstein’s autopsy and afterward refused to give up the brain which, eventually, was delivered to an Einstein heir in Berkeley.