Of California, Oregon, and Washington, which was the first to become a U.S. state?

The lure of gold dramatically accelerated one West Coast state's path to joining the Union. After being ceded to the U.S. by Mexico in 1848, the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill triggered a massive population boom. This influx of settlers allowed California to bypass the typical, lengthy process of becoming an organized territory. Instead, it was fast-tracked into the Union as the 31st state in 1850 as part of a complex legislative package known as the Compromise of 1850.

Oregon's journey followed a more conventional route. After years of settlement by pioneers traveling the famous Oregon Trail, it was officially organized as a U.S. territory in 1848. It would take another eleven years of development and population growth before it was finally admitted as the 33rd state in 1859.

Washington was the last of the trio to achieve statehood. It was initially part of the vast Oregon Territory before being separated and established as the Washington Territory in 1853. It remained a territory for over 35 years, a period of steady growth in logging, fishing, and farming. Washington eventually joined the Union in 1889, becoming the 42nd state, nearly four decades after its southern neighbor.