A- With the Gold Rush came a huge increase in population and a pressing need for civil government. In 1849, Californians sought statehood and, after heated debate in the U.S. Congress arising out of the slavery issue, California entered the Union as a free, nonslavery state by the Compromise of 1850
B- 1850 California requested admittance to U.S. as a free state, which threatened the balance of power that had existed between free and slaves states. The Compromise of 1850 was created by Congress to help solve this problem and maintain some unity between the states.