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CALIFORNIA I. EARLY POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

WHAT DO YOU KNOW About California in the 19th century (or earlier)?

CALIFORNIA UNDER THE RULE OF SPAIN, MEXICO, AND THE U.S.

SOME REFLEXIONS.

Pre-1850 (circa 1700)

Pre-1850 - CALIFORNIA WAS PART OF NEW SPAIN (IT WAS COLONIZED AFTER

1769). By that time the town of Our Lady of Los Angeles was founded. IT WAS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF A VICEROY LOCATED IN MEXICO CITY.

- CALIFORNIA WAS NEVER PART OF THE INDEPENDENCE WAR OF MEXICO.

Pre-1850

- AFTER THE INDEPENDENCE OF MEXICO IN 1821 CALIFORNIA BECAME PART OF MEXICO. A STATE GOVERNMENT was put together PRESIDED BY A GOVERNOR AS WELL AS LOCAL OFFICIALS (MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCILS, MAYORS). ALSO CALIFORNIA HAD REPRESENTATION IN THE MEXICAN CONGRESS.

Pre-1850 - YET, THE “CALIFORNIOS” WANTED TO BE MORE AUTONOMOUS FROM

THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. - THE political elites were concentrated in MONTEREY AND LOS ANGELES. - AGRICULTURE AND TRADE WERE THE MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC

ACTIVITIES. IN 1840, LAND IN THE HANDS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS “SECULARIZED. “ CALIFORNIA BECAME MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR COLONIZERS FROM THE EAST, WHO COMPETED FOR POLITICAL POWER.

Pre-1850 - IN 1846, U.S. COLONIZERS ORGANIZED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

(SONOMA) THE BEAR FLAG REBELLION AT THE TIME WHEN TEXAS DECLARED ITS INDEPENDENCE OF MEXICO (REMEMBER EL ALAMO!).

- AT THAT TIME THE U.S. DECLARED A WAR AGAINST MEXICO THUS THE ARMY (COMING FROM NEW MEXICO) AND THE NAVY (FROM SAN PEDRO AND MONTERREY) PROCEEDED TO OCCUPY CALIFORNIA.

- THEN, THE CALIFORNIOS ORGANIZED A MILITIA. IMPORTANT BATTLES TOOK PLACE IN RANCHO DOMINGUEZ AND CHINO. AND SAN PASCUAL AMONG OTHERS. AT THE BEGINNING OF 1847 THE REBELS ACCEPTED THE VICTORY OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES IN THE “TREATY OF CAHUENGA.”

Pre-1850

Pre-1850 - THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO SIGNED IN EARLY 1848

STIPULATED THE CESSION OF MEXICO OF ITS NORTHERN TERRITORY, INCLUDING CALIFORNIA.

- THE TREATY ALSO STATED THAT THE MEXICANS “LEFT BEHIND” WOULD HAVE A YEAR TO RETURN TO MEXICO OR BECOME AMERICAN CITIZENS.

- THE YEAR AFTER, THE SO CALLED “GOLD FEVER’ STARTED OUT IN CALIFORNIA. COLONIZERS FROM THE EAST OUTNUMBERED MEXICANS in a short period of time. THEY ACQUIRED POLITICAL POWER.

AFTER THE U.S.-MEXICO WAR

Post-1850 - The first constitution was adopted in 1849 It was written in both English and

Spanish. Because of the pressure of the still powerful “californios,” such as Pablo de la Guerra, Manuel Dominguez and Antonio Pico. De la Guerra became a senator, President Pro Tempore of the Senate and acting lieutenant governor.

Post-1850 - IT BORROWED MANY PREMISES FROM NEW YORK AND IOWA. - IT CONTAINED PROVISIONS REGARDING THE STRUCTURE OF THE

GOVERNMENT AND THE CIVIL RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES OF THE CITIZENS.

- THE CONSTITUTION RECOGNIZED THAT SPANISH WAS ONE OF THE TWO OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OF CALIFORNIA.

- CALIFORNIA WAS ADMITTED AS THE 31TH STATE IN 1850 (A LATECOMER TO NATIONAL POLITICS).

POST-1850

- IN 1879, A NEW CONSTITUTION IS PASSED inspired in the Progressive Movement. AMONG THE NEW PROVISIONS WERE:

-END OF BILINGUALISM

-ASIAN EXCLUSIONARY PROVISIONS

-REGULATIONS TO LARGE CORPORATIONS

POST-1850 -THE CONSTITUTION WAS INFLUENCED BY THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT. IMPORTANT PREMISES INCLUDED WERE:

-GREATER ACCESS TO THE GOVERNMENT

-ANTI-CORRUPTION ACTIONS

-INCREASED CITIZEN PARTICIPATION

-MORE ACCOUNTABILITY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS

-TOOLS FOR DIRECT DEMOCRACY

POST-1850 -WORKERS’PROTECTIONS, e.g. END OF CHILD LABOR

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POST-1850 -THE CONSTITUTION ADOPTED IN 1879 IS STILL IN PLACE WITH MORE THAN 500 AMENDMENTS. IT IS ONE OF THE LONGEST IN THE U.S. AND ONE OF “EASIEST” TO AMEND.