How did California become a state?

Answer 1

Because of the gold rush.

Answer 2

California Admission Day September 9, 1850

In February of 1848, Mexico and the United States signed a treaty which ended the Mexican War and yielded a vast portion of the Southwest, including present day California, to the United States. Several days earlier, January 24, 1848, gold had been discovered on the American River near Sacramento, and the ensuing gold rush hastened California's admittance to the Union. With the Gold Rush came a huge increase in population and a pressing need for civil government.

In 1849, Californians sought statehood and, after heated debate in the U.S. Congress arising out of the slavery issue, California entered the Union as a free, nonslavery state by the Compromise of 1850.

Answer 3

California was won/bought from Mexico following the Spanish American war. When gold was discovered in California, herds of gruff single men seeking fortune headed west. The pioneers were usually single males because they were independent and looking for a second chance to succeed (Manifest Destiny and whatnot). They were called 49's because that's when they all went out there. California increased her population so dramatically they were soon begging for statehood in order to have a police force to control the drunkards. However, this caused issues in Congress because adding California would upset the balance of power between slave/nonslave states. A few solutions to the slavery problem in the west were suggested, like the Wilmot Proviso, Popular Sovereignty, and a continuation of the 36'30' line, but in the end none of these solutions worked. And then came the civil war...

Answer 4

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo specified the major consequence of the war: the forced Mexican Cession of the territories of Alta California and New Mexico to the United States in exchange for $15 million.

Answer 5

The process that California went through to get it's statehood is very straightforward. California reached the number of residents necessary to claim the territory as an independent state.