Final answer:
California's journey from the discovery of gold to statehood was exceptionally fast, taking just over two and a half years from the gold discovery at Sutter's Mill in January 1848 to statehood on September 9, 1850. This rapid transition is attributed to the Gold Rush's population boom and economic impact, which prompted a quick establishment of state governance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discovery of gold in California led to a rapid influx of people seeking their fortune. The timeline from the discovery of gold to California's statehood is quite brief considering typical state formation processes. Gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, on January 24, 1848. By the end of the same year, the population had soared due to the Gold Rush, and by 1849, thousands from around the world had arrived. This massive increase in population and economic activity prompted the need for an organized government. As a result, California bypassed the typical territorial stage of US state development and was admitted to the Union as a state on September 9, 1850, just over two and a half years after the gold discovery.
This swift journey to statehood is significant because it was expedited by the unprecedented population growth and the associated economic implications of the Gold Rush. Typically, territories would take much longer to achieve the population and infrastructure necessary for statehood. The assumption that the US government would have time before any of the Mexican Cession territories applied for statehood was disproved by the sudden influx of people and wealth, altering the dynamic of national politics, particularly the debate over the extension of slavery.