Final answer:
The California Gold Rush resulted in a significant increase in westward migration from the East to the West, fostering California's growth and influencing its path to statehood. The correct option is b.
Step-by-step explanation:
The California Gold Rush, which started in 1848, significantly impacted America's national identity and internal migration patterns. When James Marshall found gold at Sutter's Mill, the news quickly sparked a massive influx of people seeking wealth and opportunity. This event led to option It caused an increase in migration from the East to the West, as individuals from various parts of the country and world—including the East Coast—rushed to California.
As prospectors, entrepreneurs, and others ventured westward, they fueled rapid growth in California's population, instigating the need for organized governance and statehood. This migration was aligned with the principles of Manifest Destiny, which ideologically supported westward expansion. The Homestead Act of 1862 further stimulated this movement by offering land incentives, while the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 enhanced mobility.
Homesteading farmers, store owners, saloon keepers, and various entrepreneurs followed the prospectors. This influx of settlers had devastating effects on Native Americans, with the massive displacement and loss of life that some scholars label genocide. The gold rush created a boomtown culture, with short-lived settlements that sometimes grew into significant townships as a semblance of order replaced initial chaos.
The correct option is b.