Vocabulary
forty-niner
someone who came to California in search of gold
What were reasons very few people moved to California prior to the Gold Rush?
mountains, deserts and the Pacific ocean
What year was the Bear Flag Revolt?
1846
revolt
an armed fight against a government or other authority
What did the Russians at Colony Ross hope to find in California?
wild animal furs
When was the Mexican-American War?
1846-1848
constitution
a document that tells how a government will be organized and what its powers will be
How did most people travel to California?
by trail on covered wagons
How did the war come to an end?
The United States and Mexico signed a peace treaty called The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which stated that California was now a part of the United States.
pioneer
one of the first people to settle in a place
What specific event bright thousands of people to California in 1849?
a gold discovery at Sutter's Mill
What happened in California in late 1849?
The people of California approved the state constitution.
republic
a country in which citizens elect leaders to represent them in government
What was this movement of thousands of people to California referred to?
the Gold Rush
What date did California officially become a state?
September 9, 1850