The Discovery Of Gold Expedites California’s Admission As The 31st State

The discovery of gold in Los Angelos and soon a larger discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill, near Sacramento, led to an expedited call to admit California as a state. Slave supporters tried to add southern California as a slave state, while having northern California as a serrated free state, and to extend the Missouri Compromise to the Pacific Coast. However, with the pro slavery southern states threading to secede in 1850, the northern states did not want California added as a slave state and succeeded.

On September 9th, 1850, San Jose native Samuel Hensley delivered the papers admitting California as the 31st State of the United States.