California History 3

8/9/2019 California History 3

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The congress of the US, deadlocked over the future of slavery in new territories,

provided no legal form of government whatever for California from the end of the

Mexican War in 1848 until its admission into the Union on September 9, 1850. Duringthis period the confused conditions of the gold rush intensified the disorder that

resulted from Californias undetermined and very peculiar legal and political status.

Change: CA had 5 governors in the first ten months of its occupation, from

commodore Sloat to colonel Fremont.

Alcalde: guardian of the public peace; American governors brought common law

with them to the West. This system left one person in charge with lots of power.

Unclear authority structure. Conflict between Stockton and Kearny. After the

capitulation at Cahuenga, it was unclear whether Kearny or Fremont was in charge.

The hope was that after the signing of the treaty, CA would be normalized under US

law. But for a newly acquired territory, things moved slowly.

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The hope was that if a constitution could be drawn up it could help solve the problem

by presenting a de facto plan.

The normal procedure for congress admitting a state would have been first establishinga territorial government. When there were enough inhabitants, Congress would have

passed an enabling act, authorizing an elected convention to prepare a constitution for

approval. California, like Texas and other states, would skip the territorial stage

altogether.

Kings job was to stir up interest in the convention in the summer of 1849. But of

course this was also in the midst of the national gold rush to CA. King himself arrived on

a ship from Panama.

Gwin saw the opportunity that CA provided. He could help organize the state and also

return to Congress as one of the first US senators.

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The first decision made was if CA was going to be a state or territory. Gwin pushed for

statehood since he could not be a senator of a territory.

All of the Southern California representative voted for CA being admitted as a territoryfor tax reasons. Many of them were ranchers. Taxes on land would support the state.

Federal government supported expenses of territories. Carrillo even suggested a

state/territory solution.

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Colonel Thomas Jefferson Green and other TX came to CA. Brought slaves to work their

claims. Many outraged that gold mining was work appropriate for slaves. The miners

elected William E. Shannon to the convention. Shannon introduced the provision againstslavery.

Many wanted to exclude blacks from the state. Stirred up racial fears. The exclusion

clause was actually adopted. Backed off because it conflicted w/federal constitution. No

roadblocks wanted for statehood.

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Any moves to split CA in two ended with the start of the civil war. No tolerance for any

separatist tendencies. No north and south California.

Albert Sidney Johnston was army commander on the Pacific Coast. Johnston resignedto join Confederate army. He led a group of volunteers. Some pro-confederate groups in

CA. Most in CA were pro-Union. 1861 had a pro-Union party.

CA did not play a big part in the war. CA was far away. Draft not enforced. War did not

help bring together CA identity. Sanitary Commission raised money for wounded

soldiers. Started by Thomas Starr King. Raised 25% of all national proceeds. Announced

CA was part of US.

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Spanish word for lookout; Took a man and woman from authorities and shot them for

the murder of her husband; Witnesses afraid to testify

Defended as a means of curbing the high crime rate in CA.Used flogging, ear-cropping, head-shaving, branding, hanging

Violence often directed against Irish-Catholics

Dominated by merchants seeking to keep their economic positions

Was someone like Samuel Brennan trying to suppress his feelings of guilt?

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Congress left Ca without any laws and in San Francisco terrorists appeared

Mostly tried to run out Latinos (such as Chilean miners)

Held drunken parades, bullied merchants, and lootedKilled a mother and assaulted her daughter

Law and order party caught many of the hounds and took up a collection for the family

The punishment was banishment which was basically unenforceable

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Beating and robbery of C.J. Jansen blamed on Australians; Brennan organized mob for

hanging; William Coleman organized a jury.

Fifth of many fires to rage through San Francisco and on the same anniversarySydney Ducks and Hounds suspected

John Jenkins caught stealing a small saFe

Dragged to committees headquarters instead of police

William Howard shouts we came here to hang somebody

Began hanging other Sydney Ducks

By the time the committee was done in 1851 it had made nearly 90 arrests, four

hangings, 1 whipping, 28 deportations, and released 41 people

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Juanita killed a miner who had gathered to hear a speech and attended a late party

His friends said he was just entering to apologize for breaking down her door

She was rounded up by a frenzied mobShe put on her own noose and walked off the scaffold

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Business leaders opposed the Democratic city government of David Broderick, and

Irishman

Politician James Casey shot editor James King of William for exposing his past;journalistic vigilante

Oh, what was your name in the states?

Was it Thompson or Johnson or Bates?

Did you murder your wife and flee for your life?

Oh, what was your name in the states?

Richardson was marshal and confronted Cora, an Irishman, about his mistress while

drunk; Cora shot Richardson

The vigilance committee informed the governor that they controlled the city

2500 vigilantes took Cora and Casey from the jail and the death of King led to their

hanging

Vigilance committee continued to try and sentence people

Defied court order to release jailer

Governor proclaimed city to be in state of insurrection

Troops are called in and while trying to ship in arms are ambushed; Justice Terry stabs a

man and is arrested by vigilantes

After defending himself he is convicted but released

Many of the people the vigilance committee were tax evaders and distrusted

government and formed peoples party which drastically cut taxes

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Mexican miners were superior to american ones and hard feelings still existed from the

Mexican American War

Sometimes foreign miners attacked americans who tried to drive them from their claimsMiners had to pay a fee of $20 a month which unfairly targeted mexican miners

15,000 miners in the southern mines and about 10,000 left in the summer of 1850

Ignored Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgos provisions for citizenship

Tax was repealed because merchants complained about fall in customers

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Mexican land grants were vague; poco mas o menos and sketchy maps

500 ranchos in CA in 1846 but nearly 800 claims filed in American courts and they

conflictedMexican treaty said that Mexican land titles had to be respected

American settlers were used to obtaining federal land and could not believe that a few

families could monopolize land in CA

Many of the land grants granted by Mexican governors were within last 5 years

People like Thomas Larkin bought up 200,000 acres as a speculator

Hallecks report said many Mexican claims were imperfect; supported settlers.

Squatter riot: land grants owned by Sutter were not recognized by squatters;

sheriff deputies began destroying squatter houses and fences;

put up (hang) those who would pull down the squatters fences

Jones had married a sister of Fremont and therefore had a favorable view of Mexican

land grants

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Gwin set up land commission which took all claims;

critics said that those with land titles were assumed fraudulent until they could be

proved;the commission held hearings for 4 years, saw 800 cases, approved 604 claims, 9 million

acres, and the average wait time was 17 years,

process was long and expensive, even after gaining land many settlers refused to get off,

CA newcomers ended getting all or portions of almost every rancho in the state;

contradicted Mexican War treaty

Fremonts 10 million dollar grant sold to him for $3000; grant was for an area, not exact

boundaries

Even the civic pueblo grants for San Francisco were disputed. Some people claimed parts

of the city. Defended claims with a shotgun.

Fallout: created hardships for Mexican land holders, retarded CA settlement, and

damaged early agriculture

Land transferred from Spain to Mexico to America but still in large tracts.

In 1849 Carrillo argued for two states; Extend Missouri compromise to the Pacific; Bills to

divide the state in 1851-1859

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Taiping: fifteen years of civil war brought many chinese immigrants to CA with hopes of

returning home with a fortune

Credit-ticket: debt bondage to pay for passage to CA especially in mines; in 1852 their

numbers rose to 25,000 and were concentrated in mining regions where at times they

made up a third of the population

Coolie: came from Indian term kuli meaning muscle; it was used by the British to

describe an unskilled laborer or servant; it was introduced into China and translated with

two Chinese characters meaning bitter strength

Many Chinese paid the tax in order to have good relations with whites; until declared

unconstitutional in 1870 it brought in a fourth of the states revenue; many Chinese were

taken advantage of by fraudulent tax collectors

Court case: CA legislature passed law prohibiting blacks and indians from testifying in

court; Chinese were counted as Indians since they came fro the same Asiatic root by this

state supreme court case

Law: only free white persons could be naturalized; lasted for 100 years (1952) it allowed

discrimination on the basis of race

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American policy: move Indians to the frontier; this became a problem with the

acquisition of CA because their was no more frontier

McKee: only given $50,000 dollars to work with but made contracts worth $1 million;

cheaper to feed the whole flock for a year than to fight them for a week; their plan

failed and they had overreached themselves; opponents did like Indians getting so much

rich land within the state; wanted removal of Indians out of American territory except

Indians they were using for labor (wild and tame Indians); plan was opposed by CA

senators Gwin and Weller and was defeated by Senate

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Rumors: General McDougal asserted 100,000 Indian warriors were in state of rebellion;

whites on the frontier banded together and began to hunt the Indians; many of the

expeditions were paid with state bonds

Harte report: 1860 from northern CA attacked Indian village and killed 60 Indians, mostly

women and children

Modoc: Modocs returned to their native lands and left a reservation in Oregon; the

conflict could have been resolved if allowed to occupy small piece of land of little value

to whites; in 1873 a force of 400 soldiers drove the modocs to take refuge in lava beds;

the modocs fortified themselves and couldnt be easily defeated. At a peace conference

they were only allowed the option of returning to CA; Their chief was convinced to

murder a General and a missionary; the Indians were finally defeated but not until they

had killed 75 whites and cost a half a million dollars

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Population: native to Spain and Mexico to Coming of Americans; disease took the largest

toll

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State constitution: many still brought slaves with them anyway; it was a critical issue

facing CA; blacks from north came to CA with same dreams as others

Fugitive: mainly enforced against blacks who were brought to CA and whose masters

wanted to take them back to the south

Legal testimony: blacks in SF petitioned to have the law changed; in 1863 it was finally

changed but still in force against Chinese and Indians which wasnt lifted until 1872

Public education: negroes, mongols, and Indians were prevented from attending public

schools; but as their numbers increased segregated schools were started

Population: mostly in major cities and worked menial jobs; some overcame racial

prejudice like Bridget Biddy Mason; she started out as a slave, obtained freedom,

became a midwife and nurse, invested in real estate, and established herself as a local

philanthropist; but she was atypical

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The admission of California to the union in 1850 linked the state politically with the rest

of the nation, but California remained geographically isolated.

Several early attempts were made to solve the problem of isolation. Stagecoachescarrying the overland mail began crossing the continent to California in 1858. Writer

Mark Twain chronicled the plight of one group of hapless passengers who accompanied

the west-bound mail. Among the more colorful stagecoach drivers in California was

Charlotte Parkhurst, a tough character also known as "Cock-eyed Charley." The Pony

Express began providing transcontinental mail service to California in 1860, but its

impact was minimal. Perhaps the most ingenious attempt to solve the problem of

California's isolation was the introduction of camel caravans across the deserts of the

southwest. Meanwhile, river boats carried passengers and cargo on the inland rivers of

the state. The wires of the telegraph established instant communication between

California and the rest of the nation in 1861, but the larger challenge of providing a

system of transcontinental transportation remained unmet.

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Congress directed secretary of war Jefferson davis to come up with a report that detailed

the five best routes for the new railroad; created a three volume report; what interesting

reading that must have been. The routes themselves were controversial due to theslavery issue. The north and south wanted the railroad to go through their part of the

country.

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The Transcontinental Railroad stretches 1,775 miles from Omaha,Nebraska to Sacramento, California and took more than 20,000

workers over 6 years to build.

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Has already been involved in building a railroad from sacramento to folsom. He became

obessessed with continuing the line up the foothills and across the Sierra Nevada. Judah

persistently lobbied congress but got no where until the outbreak of the Civil War. Thequestion was one of preserving the Union. What if the English decided to back the

Confederacy and land off the coast of CA? How could the U.S. fight off such an invasion?

What if CA and NV joined the confederacy? Even if they remained loyal, how was the

Union to benefit from the gold, silver, and grain available in these far west territories?

Could CA continue to be isolated from the East?

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After discovering a route for the railroad through the Sierra Nevada Mountains,

Theodore Judah located four Sacramento investors who each purchased $15,000 of

stock in the newly born Central Pacific Railroad. These men became known as the BigFour.

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The Big Four were Leland Stanford, Collis P. Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles

Crocker. The Central Pacific Railroad made these four investors some of the wealthiest

men in America.

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As governor Stanford would take of any state government issues in regard to the railroad

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Huntington would be responsible for lobbying Washington and Hopkins would keep

financial records (many of which conveniently disappeared later on)

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Crocker would supervise construction. The Big Four basically set up a dummy company

so that all of the proceeds would go to them

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Judah, the brains behind the project, quickly found himself to be the odd man out.

Many suspected that the big four were in the project just for the money, and Judah saw

this as the truth. Construction of the railroad was opposed by the stage companies (andothers) and prices were high for materials. The big four were even willing to take a

clean shirt and get out. Judah bowed out of the corporation with a $100,000 payment

and the option to buy the company back for $400,000. He went to the East coast to look

for new investors. The big four were able to convince the federal government that they

needed more subsidies to continue work. These were given and Judah was forgotten.

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The work to get through the Sierra Nevada was backbreaking and it was hard to find

cheap labor. Crocker at first hired fifty chinese as an experiment. The Chinese were

derisively known as Crockers pets

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Stanford missed!!

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California began to lose its Splendid Isolation. California now joined the national

economy; hundreds of thousands of new immigrants would begin to come to California.

What would they find?

California History 3

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