After 1848, many settlers moved to California because of the gold rush that was taking place there.
The gold rush of California was a social phenomenon that occurred in the United States between 1848 and 1855, characterized by the large number of immigrants who came to San Francisco (California) in search of this metal. This phenomenon began near the town of Coloma, when gold was discovered in Sutter's Mill. When the news of the discovery spread, around 300,000 people emigrated to California from the rest of the United States and other countries.
The effects of this sudden migration were spectacular. Before the gold rush, San Francisco was a tiny village, and with the rush the village became a city. Schools, roads and churches were built, and other towns were founded. A legal and governmental system was created, which led to the admission of California as a state of the Union in 1850. New means of transportation, such as the steamboat, entered service in the state, and railway lines were laid.