The largest of the
Pacific coast States; noted for its admirable climate, its production of gold, its large commerce, and its great yield of fruit,
which now finds a market even in
Europe.
In recent years the production of gold has decreased, but there has been a remarkable development of other mineral resources, especially petroleum.
Reports on the foreign trade in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1900, showed at the ports of
Humboldt,
Los Angeles,
San Diego, and
San Francisco, imports of merchandise, $49,441,831; exports, $43,361,078; imports of gold and
silver coin and bullion, $13,734,348; exports, $9,528,309. The production of the precious metals in the calendar year of 1899 was: Gold, $15,197,800; silver, $494,580. In 1900 the total assessed valuation of taxable property was $1,218,228,588, and the total bonded debt was $2,281,500, nearly all of which was held in State educational funds.
The population in 1890 was 1,208,130; in 1900, 1,485,053.
In 1534
Hernando Cortez (q. v.) sent
Hernando de Grijalva on an errand of discovery to the
Pacific coast, who probably saw the peninsula of
California.
Twenty-five years before the
Spanish leader discovered the country, a romance was published in
Spain in which are described the doings of a pagan queen of Amazons, who brought from the “right hand of the Indies” her allies to assist the infidels in their attack upon
Constantinople.
The romance was entitled
Esplandian, the name of an imaginary
Greek emperor, living in Stamboul, the ancient name of
Constantinople.
The Amazonian queen was named Calafia, whose kingdom, rich in gold, diamonds, and pearls, was called
California.
The author probably derived the name from Calif, the title of a successor of Mohammed.
The author says: “Know that on the right hand of the Indies there is an island, called
California, very close to the
Terrestrial Paradise, and it was peopled by black women without any man among them, for they lived in the fashion of the Amazonia.
They were of strong and hardy bodies, of ardent courage, and of great force.
Their island was the strongest in all the world, with its steep cliffs and rocky shore.
Their arms were all of gold, and so was the harness of the wild beasts which they tamed and rode.
For in the whole island there was no metal but gold.
They lived in caves wrought out of the rocks with much labor.
They had many ships with which they sailed out to other countries to obtain booty.”
Both
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Cortez and
Grijalva believed, as everybody then believed, that they were in the neighborhood of the coast of
Asia; and, as the aspect of the country corresponded with the description in the romance, they named the peninsula
California.
In the
Gulf of
California were found pearls; so the description of the country of the black
Amazons——a country filled with gold and Pearls—suited the actual condition of the region explored.
Although parts of the present territory of the
State are believed to have been discovered about 1534, settlements in Old or
Lower California were first made in 1683 by Jesuit missionaries.
New or
Upper California was discovered later, and the first mission there (
San Diego) was planted in 1768.
For many years the government of
California, temporal and spiritual, was under the control of monks of the Order of
St. Francis.
It was not until about 1770 that the
Bay of San Francisco was discovered, and in 1776 a mission was established there.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century eighteen missions had been established in
California, with over 15,000 converts.
The Spanish power in
California was overthrown by the
Mexican revolution in 1822, when the government was permanently secularized.
In 1843-46 many thousand emigrants from the
United States settled in
California; and when the war with
Mexico broke out in 1846, the struggle for the mastery in that Pacific coast province speedily ended in victory for the
Americans in 1847.
By the treaty of peace at
Guadalupe Hidalgo (q. v.),
California and other territory were ceded to the
United States.
In the month of February 1848, gold was discovered in
California, on the
Sacramento River, by
John W. Marshall, who was working for
John A. Sutter (q. v.), and as the news spread abroad, thousands of enterprising and energetic men flocked thither, not only from the
United States, but from
South America,
Europe, and
China, to secure the precious metal.
Very soon there was a mixed population of all sorts of characters in
California of at least 250,000 persons.
The military governor called a convention to meet at
Monterey, Sept. 1, 1849, to frame a State constitution.
One was formed by which slavery was to be excluded from the
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new State; and this document revived in Congress, in great intensity, debates on the subject of slavery in 1849-50.
See
Kearny, Stephen Watts;
Stockton, Robert field.
Prior to the assembly of the constitutional convention the people of
California, in convention at
San Francisco, had voted against the admission of the slave-labor system in that country.
The constitution adopted at
Monterey also had a provision to exclude slavery from the
State.
Thus came into political form the crude elements of a State, the birth and maturity of which seems like a strange dream.
All had been accomplished within twenty months from the time when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill.
Under this constitution
John Charles Fremont (q. v.), and
William Gwin (q. v.) were chosen by the State legislature
United States Senators.
Edward Gilbert and
G. H. Wright were elected to the House of Representatives.
When
Fremont and
Gwynn went to
Washington, they took the
State constitution with them, and presented a petition (February, 1850) asking for the admission of
California into the
Union as a free and independent State.
The article in its constitution which excluded slavery became a cause of violent debate in Congress and of bitter feeling in the
South against the people of the
North.
The Union, so strong in the hearts of the people, was shaken to its centre.
Mr. Clay again appeared as a compromiser for the sake of peace and union.
It seemed that some compromise was needed to avoid serious difficulty, for already the representatives of the slave interest had taken action, and the
Southern members in Congress boldly declared their intention to break up the
Union if
California should be admitted under such a constitution.
A joint resolution was adopted to appoint a committee of thirteen (six Northern and six Southern members, who should choose the thirteenth) to consider the subject of a territorial government for
California New
Mexico, and
Utah, with instructions to report a plan of compromise embracing all the questions thus arising out of the subject of slavery.
Henry Clay was made chairman of that committee.
He had already presented (Jan. 25, 1850) a plan of compromise to the
South, and spoke eloquently in favor of it (Feb. 5); and on May 8 he reported a plan of compromise in a series of bills, intended to be a pacification.
This was called the
omnibus bill (q. v.). It made large concessions to the slave-holders, and yet it was not satisfactory to them.
For months a violent discussion of the compromise act was carried on throughout the country, and it was denounced upon diametrically opposite grounds.
It finally became a law, and on Sept. 9, 1850,
California was admitted into the
Union as a State.
So lawless were a large class of the population at this time, that nothing but the swift operations of “Vigilance committees” could control them and preserve social order.
The first vigilance committee of
San Francisco was organized in 1851.
Finally, these committees assumed
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the functions and powers of judges and executives, but under proper regulations, which guaranteed all accused persons a fair trial.
Dangerous men of every kind were arrested, tried, hanged, transported, or acquitted.
The tribunal became a “terror to evil-doers.”
Late in 1856 the vigilance committee in
San Francisco surrendered its powers to the regularly constituted civil authority.
California did not furnish any troops during the
Civil War, owing to its isolated position.
The Central Pacific Railroad was completed May 12, 1869, thus connecting
California with the
Mississippi Valley and the
Atlantic seaboard.
Since then the progress of the
State has been phenomenal.
From 1767 up to 1821,
California being under Spanish rule, ten governors were appointed by that power.
From 1822 until 1845, being under
Mexican domination, her governors (twelve) were appointed from
Mexico.
From 1846 her governors have been as follows:
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