<P> In 1821 , Mexico gained its independence from Spain , and Alta California became one of the three interior provinces in the First Mexican Empire north of the Rio Grande , along with Texas and New Mexico . The Mexican government was unstable , leading to the annexation of California by the United States in 1846 . During Mexican rule , California was sparsely populated , with only a few thousand Mexican residents , compared to tens of thousands of Native Americans , and a handful of Yankee entrepreneurs . At the time of the annexation , `` foreigners already outnumbered Californians of Spanish ancestry 9,000 to 7,500 '' . The advent of the California Gold Rush in 1848 led to a massive influx of settlers - including thousands of Mexican miners , but also tens of thousands of Americans from the East . Other substantial immigrant groups included Chileans , and Chinese people . </P>
<P> In 1821 , Mexico gained its independence from Spain , and Alta California became one of the three interior provinces in the First Mexican Empire north of the Rio Grande , along with Texas and New Mexico . The Mexican government was unstable , leading to the annexation of California by the United States in 1846 . During Mexican rule , California was sparsely populated , with only a few thousand Mexican residents , compared to tens of thousands of Native Americans , and a handful of Yankee entrepreneurs . At the time of the annexation , `` foreigners already outnumbered Californians of Spanish ancestry 9,000 to 7,500 '' . The advent of the California Gold Rush in 1848 led to a massive influx of settlers - including thousands of Mexican miners , but also tens of thousands of Americans from the East . Other substantial immigrant groups included Chileans , and Chinese people . </P>
when did california become home to a substantial minority of english-speaking settlers
when did california become home to a substantial minority of english-speaking settlers
1848
1848