What was happening in California at the time of Zachary Taylor's term?

the gold-rush and the Mexican War

Explanation:

During the presidency of Zachary Taylor, California experienced two major things. One of them was the Mexican War, and the other one was the gold-rush. The Mexican War ended in win for the United States, meaning that California was incorporated into the territory of the United States, which quickly changed the region. Also, immediately after the war, the famous gold-rush happened in California. Gold was discovered in parts of California, and now being part of the United States, lot of people from the other states and from abroad moved in there, with the purpose of finding sufficient amount of gold and become rich. That resulted in the formation of numerous settlements in California, later becoming towns and cities.