Question

Why would americans want to go to california?

Answer 1

California is like a “mixing pot”, there are tons of different nationalities and is located on the coast so there are beaches. There are many good colleges such as Stanford and UCLA.

Answer 2

California was seen as a new "land of opportunity" and in 1848 gold was discovered in California, creating the famous Gold Rush of 1849. The hope of striking it rich by mining gold in California or silver in Nevada continued to attract settlers to the West for decades, which most likely spurred people to go to California.
Hope this helps :)