b) Agriculture

After the Gold Rush, agriculture became California’s dominant economic sector. The discovery of gold in 1848 had initially brought a flood of prospectors to the state, but as the gold became harder to find, many turned to farming and ranching. California’s fertile land and favorable climate made it an ideal place for agriculture. This shift marked the beginning of California’s transformation into an agricultural powerhouse, producing a significant portion of America’s fruits, vegetables, and nuts, a status it maintains to this day.