FTCE Subject Area Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive Prep Guide

The significant migration of people to California between 1849 and 1852 was mainly driven by the California Gold Rush. Beginning in 1848, the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill attracted a massive influx of settlers, prospectors, and fortune-seekers. This event transformed California from a sparsely populated territory into a booming hub of activity, as people from various backgrounds and regions rushed to find wealth through gold mining. The promise of prosperity motivated over 300,000 individuals to undertake arduous journeys, often through challenging terrain and in dire conditions, to reach California.

The other events listed contributed to historical developments in the region but did not result in the same level of immediate mass migration. The California Land Act focused more on land distribution rather than population movement. The Homestead Act, enacted in 1862, aimed to encourage settlement in the western United States but occurred after the majority of the Gold Rush migration. The Gadsden Purchase involved the acquisition of land from Mexico, impacting territory boundaries rather than driving population movement at the time of the Gold Rush.