Question

Which of these factors contributed most to the settlement of California in the late 1840s and early 1850s? A. the high demand for factory workers B. the discovery of mineral deposits C. the opportunities to escape slavery D. the availability of land for farming

Answer 1

Most people came because of precious minerals, so B would be your best choice.

Answer 2

B. The discovery of mineral deposits.

With the discovery of minerals in California, immigrants from different places came following the "American Dream". They arrived from different cultural backgrounds and due to their labor, California is what it is today. This was known as the "gold rush", by 1849 it brought in nearly 40000 miners.