A brief snapshot of California History Chapter 2 in Van Vechten
When you go out in the world, and even when you go to the east coast – people make fun of California, as if our history started with the first filming of the television show Gilligan’s Island or The Partridge Family!
California is, as the author points out in our textbook a state with incredible history, wrapped in our geography and the changes brought on by waves of people coming from inside and outside of the US.
So you read the book and I am not going to review the Chapter – that is your responsibility. I do want to make an editorial comment (my humble opinion here) but I think it is a mistake to jump into California history at the invasion of native people’s land in 1542.
The native American tribes of what is now California were here long before the first documented settlers ever got here. They defined mush of the geographic areas that the new invaders sought for their own. And what is a large part of major cities throughout California today.
Native American tribes are a big player in California politics – both state, regional and local. Tribes have been and continue to have growing clout in land use policies, environmental issues and social justice issues. I was just at a series of hearings on the developing EIR for the Delta Plan in several communities throughout Northern California and in Clarksburg in Yolo County and Chico there were tribal representatives at the meeting and declarations of submitting comments for the EIR NOP.
As fully sovereign nations, many tribal lands are outside of federal state and local laws, regulations and codes. There are issues on surrounding lands and services where there is full participation and political weight by descendants of California’s first people.
So – in 1542 the Spanish arrive and establish the network of missions. Things move along until the Mexican independence movement (fueled by Twitter, oh wait this is 1821 so maybe it was just a firepower issue…). And then, speaking of firepower – the US went to war with Mexico in May 1846 in Texas, but the US sent the navy into Monterey Bay and the Army into Southern California and occupied the land until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidlago in 1848 where California became a possessed territory of the US.
In Fall of 1848 residents gathered in a Constitutional Convention and formed the first California Constitution – mostly modeled from other states constitutions (heavily Iowa and New York).[1]
Average age of the delegates was under 38. “California’s Constitution of 1849 began with a Bill of Rights.”[2] The constitution created a plural executive branch of six separate offices selected by statewide election. It also created a bicameral legislature. The remainder of the articles were based on the precedent of other state laws and US law.
Interestingly, the constitution created an elected judicial branch with four levels of courts, something that had been in place during Mexican rule.[3]
While “spurning slavery and embracing self-government,”[4] the constitution granted white men 21 years of age and above the right to vote it is interesting to note official announcements and documents of state government were to be printed in English and Spanish.[5] The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, by the way, entitled any Mexican Californian to become a citizen of the US and all land ownership granted previously by Spain and Mexico would be honored.
Following the adoption of the State Constitution, statehood was granted by the Congress on September 9, 1850. By the way – if anyone goes to any trivia nights at pubs or clubs the following historical information may be very helpful to you!
Q: Does anyone know how many cities have been California’s Capitol? Can you name them?
San Jose - The First and Second Sessions of the Legislature, which were held in 1850 and 1851. Vallejo – 1852 and January of 1853. Benicia – 1853 -1854 and Sacramento![1]
As the state was being organized, the first surge of new growth in population occurred with the California Gold Rush, beginning in 1848. The state's non-Indian population increased from about 14,000 before the discovery to nearly 250,000 in 1852 even though an average of 30,000 prospectors returned home each year.[2]
Although 80 percent of the "forty-niners" were from the United States and all states were represented, this migration also was a global event, drawing gold seekers from California Indian bands, East Asia, Chile, Mexico, and Western Europe. For the United States it was the largest mass migration to date.[3]
Q: Who were “The Big Four?”
Q: Who were “The Big Four?”
The 1861 creators of the Central Pacific Railroad – predecessor to the Southern Pacific Railroad or “The SP.” Four Sacramento merchants - Leland Stanford, Collis Huntigton, Charles Crocker and Mark Hopkins created the western connection of the transcontinental railroad.
During his tenure, Stanford made no attempt to separate his political office from his private business interests. His contribution to the partnership was to come in the form of political influence. As governor, Stanford kept this pledge, despite his responsibilities to the public, by helping to secure massive state investment and land grants for the railroad project.[4]
Q: What was the positive significance of the growth of the Southern Pacific railroad and what was the negative consequence of its development?
· Direct transportation of goods, people and services.
· Economic supply line
· Assured growth of the state
The role of the railroads transformed California’s economy, population and politics.
California’s Second Constitution Convention, June 1878 specifically changed laws regarding tariffs/rates and subsidies for railroads. Push back against Monopoly implications.
Even though language was inserted into the Constitution, against the monopolistic practices, the Railroad’s advocates – The Governor and the legislature – failed to fund and implement reforms!
Also, in the middle of the economic downturn of the 1870’s, reinforced the request of the US Government to enact the Chinese Exclusion Program.
“Under the provisions of the act, immigration of Chinese laborers to the United States was suspended for ten years. Chinese laborers already in the country were permitted to remain, even following temporary absences, but were barred from naturalization. Illegal immigrants were to be deported. Non-labor Chinese students, teachers, merchants, or those "proceeding to the United States from curiosity" were permitted entry. The act expressly defined "Chinese laborers" as "both skilled and unskilled laborers and Chinese employed in mining." Additional provisions of the act levied heavy fines on those who would bring in or "aid and abet" any Chinese person unlawfully within the United States.“Under the Geary Act (making the act permanent), other provisions were added to require Chinese residents in the United States to register and obtain a certificate of residence. This act required that they be photographed and submit photograph copies with local police. Moreover, they had to carry identification with them at all times. The federal government paid for all related costs associated with compliance.[5]
Following an influx of general post-war immigrants during the 1920s, Congress began to implement quotas and requirements pertaining to national origin. By 1943, Congress repealed all exclusion acts, instead leaving in place a yearly limit of 105 Chinese. Further, Congress gave foreign-born Chinese naturalization rights of citizenship. The so-called origin system (with several subsequent modifications) continued to control immigration until the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Amendment Acts of 1965, Pub. L. No. 89–836, 79 Stat, 911.[6]
Read more: Chinese Exclusion Act of (1882) - Further Readings - United, Laborers, Congress, Immigration, Provisions, and China http://law.jrank.org/pages/5200/Chinese-Exclusion-Act-1882.html#ixzz1CpqigJtl
1900- 1908 Growth of the Independent Progressive Movement. After grassroots organizing, push to get anti-railroad delegates were successfully nominated for multiple offices in the 1908 GOP convention and they were mostly successful in getting elected.
Led by Hiram Johnson, who became Governor in 1910 (1911 – 1917), the Governor led the Progressive movement in California and nationally (he ran unsuccessfully as Progressive with Theodore Roosevelt in 1912).
In California, the impact of the Progressive Party was huge. Their impact was based on a principal of the best person for the job and not party labels. Supported women’s right to vote, environmental protection policies and worker’s safety. BUT, at the same time, were leery of large organizations such as labor AND corporations and immigrant impacts.
The Progressives were not just Republicans – they had members from other parties as well.
Biggest accomplishments :
· Direct Primary Law (1909): People Choose Candidates, not the Parties
· Railroad Commission appointed by the Governor, not elected. Broadened the scope to other developing utilities and is today the PUC.
· Creation of Direct Democracy – Initiative, Recall and Referendum
· Judicial and School Board elections made nonpartisan
· Women extended the right to vote 1911 (not until 1920 in US)
· Elimination of the Party Ballot Column
Other changes in 1913 –
· City, County and Special District elections nonpartisan
· Party Ban of candidate endorsements in Primary elections (struck down by California Supreme Court in 1989)
· Candidates could cross file in primaries (note it was this very tool that led to the failure of creating statewide nonpartisan elections.
While Progressives seem radical, they also passed laws such as the Alien Land Law that prohibited Asians – not European immigrants from owning land and becoming citizens (declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1952.
1930’s, migration due to the depression and the disaster of the dust bowl
WWII lead to population explosions and waves of migration due to defense jobs and spending
As war ended – GI Bill, weather and defense jobs in the developing cold war fueled constant growth.
[1] http://www.library.ca.gov/history/previous-ca-capitals.html
[2] http://www.answers.com/topic/gold-rush-california
[3] ibid
[4] http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/stanford.htm
[5] http://law.jrank.org/pages/5200/Chinese-Exclusion-Act-1882.html
[6] http://law.jrank.org/pages/5200/Chinese-Exclusion-Act-1882.html
[1] Debow and Syer. Power and Politics in California, p. 31.
[2] ibid
[3] ibid
[4] Van Vechten. California Politics, A Primer. P. 9
[5] Debow and Syer. Power and Politics in California, p. 31
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