Colton Hall, built just in time for the convention and now a treasured California historic site.
(Excerpted from my book: OUR SUMMER IN CARMEL Amazon.com)
This posting completes a short history of the region from the period of pre-history to statehood. Springtime 1849 brought a new administration to Washington in the name of Zachary Taylor and a new Governor for California, Brigadier General Bennett Riley. Both men were pledged to act quickly on the complicated question of statehood, bypassing the usual period of territorial status. With the discovery of gold and the influx of 49ers something had to be done soon. Elections were held for Representatives to a constitutional convention and a cast of characters emerged. John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant who had adopted Mexican citizenship and on whose property gold had been discovered; Mr. Fremont, now once more a civilian having lost his commission in a courts martial but now reunited with his beautiful and influential wife Jessie, recently arrived via Panama on the gold seekers route; the seven foot tall adventurer and Kentuckian John Semple who was elected convention chairman; Thomas Larkin, the former US Counsel who was now out of a job; and the Mexican General Vallejo from Sonora a leading Californio. The delegates were appointed by population. San Francisco and Sacramento had eight each, demonstrating their sudden explosive growth due to the discovery of gold. Monterey had six. Of the 48 delegates half were under 35 years of age.
The convention, which was was held in Delegate Colton's newly built Town Hall, addressed many Thorny issues. Did the delegates want to stay as a territory or become a state? Was California to be slave or free. Should non-whites be allowed to vote, thereby extending suffrage to Indians? According to the treaty with Mexico, California included all of present day Nevada, Arizona and most of Utah. Where should California's boundary be drawn? These issues were mostly decided outside the chambers, discussions going on at parties, in the bars and on the streets of Monterey.
Among the party givers was the exuberant Jessie Fremont. She could afford to entertain, although ex-Lieutenant Colonel Fremont did not have much of a pension. Recall the $3,000 dollars given by Fremont to Thomas Larkin to buy property in San Jose? Larkin instead helped out his friend Juan Alvarado who was in debt but owned the 44,360 acre Mariposa Ranch, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Fremont was furious when he heard what had been done.Those foothills were a long way from the rapidly developing and soon to become state capital. But guess what? That far away ranch was now turning out sacks of gold and would soon be valued at millions of dollars. Calofornia real estate then; California real estate now---some things don't change. The Fremont's were rich.
After six weeks of debate, horse trading, future promises, winking and nodding, and all other forms of political chicanery, a deal was struck and the documents were ready for signing. After an all night party the delegates assembled to cast their votes. After each signature a resounding canon salute would be fired. On the thirty-first shot from the cannon the draft Constitution was signed and a majority had voted for statehood. The constitution was adopted, and amid rousing cheers the State of California was born. On September 9, 1850 by act of Congress, California was admitted to the Union as the 31 state with San Jose becoming its first capital. The Yankees and Forty-Niners had arrived.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
CARMEL/MONTEREY HISTORY: STATEHOOD
Colton Hall, built just in time for the convention and now a treasured California historic site.
(Excerpted from my book: OUR SUMMER IN CARMEL Amazon.com)
This posting completes a short history of the region from the period of pre-history to statehood. Springtime 1849 brought a new administration to Washington in the name of Zachary Taylor and a new Governor for California, Brigadier General Bennett Riley. Both men were pledged to act quickly on the complicated question of statehood, bypassing the usual period of territorial status. With the discovery of gold and the influx of 49ers something had to be done soon. Elections were held for Representatives to a constitutional convention and a cast of characters emerged. John Sutter, a Swiss immigrant who had adopted Mexican citizenship and on whose property gold had been discovered; Mr. Fremont, now once more a civilian having lost his commission in a courts martial but now reunited with his beautiful and influential wife Jessie, recently arrived via Panama on the gold seekers route; the seven foot tall adventurer and Kentuckian John Semple who was elected convention chairman; Thomas Larkin, the former US Counsel who was now out of a job; and the Mexican General Vallejo from Sonora a leading Californio. The delegates were appointed by population. San Francisco and Sacramento had eight each, demonstrating their sudden explosive growth due to the discovery of gold. Monterey had six. Of the 48 delegates half were under 35 years of age.
The convention, which was was held in Delegate Colton's newly built Town Hall, addressed many Thorny issues. Did the delegates want to stay as a territory or become a state? Was California to be slave or free. Should non-whites be allowed to vote, thereby extending suffrage to Indians? According to the treaty with Mexico, California included all of present day Nevada, Arizona and most of Utah. Where should California's boundary be drawn? These issues were mostly decided outside the chambers, discussions going on at parties, in the bars and on the streets of Monterey.
Among the party givers was the exuberant Jessie Fremont. She could afford to entertain, although ex-Lieutenant Colonel Fremont did not have much of a pension. Recall the $3,000 dollars given by Fremont to Thomas Larkin to buy property in San Jose? Larkin instead helped out his friend Juan Alvarado who was in debt but owned the 44,360 acre Mariposa Ranch, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Fremont was furious when he heard what had been done.Those foothills were a long way from the rapidly developing and soon to become state capital. But guess what? That far away ranch was now turning out sacks of gold and would soon be valued at millions of dollars. Calofornia real estate then; California real estate now---some things don't change. The Fremont's were rich.
After six weeks of debate, horse trading, future promises, winking and nodding, and all other forms of political chicanery, a deal was struck and the documents were ready for signing. After an all night party the delegates assembled to cast their votes. After each signature a resounding canon salute would be fired. On the thirty-first shot from the cannon the draft Constitution was signed and a majority had voted for statehood. The constitution was adopted, and amid rousing cheers the State of California was born. On September 9, 1850 by act of Congress, California was admitted to the Union as the 31 state with San Jose becoming its first capital. The Yankees and Forty-Niners had arrived.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
CARMEL/MONTEREY HISTORY: The Yankees Take Charge
Known as California's first theater it was first a tavern and lodgings built by an English sailor just in time (1846-47) for use by U.S. Army soldiers during the territorial occupation.
(Excerpted from my book OUR SUMMER IN CARMEL Amazon.com)
It is one thing to proclaim that all of California now belongs to the United States, quite another to take charge. Commodore Sloat, being ill, and perhaps out of his element where spontaneous decision making was needed, turned his command over to the younger, more energetic, Commodore Stockton. Freemont, ever the adventurer, arrived with about 200 irregulars, spoiling for action. Walter Colton, a Navy chaplain, was appointed the Mayor of Monterey, with instructions to exert some measure of civil authority. Thankfully, much to the relief of the frightened townspeople, Fremont went south to fight a Mexican resistance force. With his departure a period of calm set in. Colton, finding no place to exercise his duties, constructed a town hall using convict labor and almost no public money. The resulting building, which stands to this day was at its time the grandest structure in all California.
Even in these early times, securing the peace was more difficult than envisioned. Unexpected events and human nature trumped what seemed to be sound planning. General Kearny arrived on the scene with a land army and instructions from the war department to take charge of both civil and military affairs. Stockton, before he set sail, has appointed the mercurial, ambitious Fremont as Governor of California. Fremont, who meanwhile had obtained a commission and was now a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army, refused to cooperate with Kearney. "Mayor" Colton sided with Kearney, but the U.S. Counsel Larkin, sided with Freemont. Larkin, was not entirely objective. He had been given $3,000 by Freemont, a tidy sum at the time, to purchase land in Freemont's name in San Jose, a bustling up-and-coming city. Into this stewpot of personalities, conflicting authority, and ambitions was now added the ultimate spice, gold. Nine days before signing the Peace Treaty with Mexico that granted all of California to the United States, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, near present day Sacramento. Pushing aside rationality, "gold fever" swept the frenzied minds soldiers and civilian, Mexicans an Americans and all other types of freelancers. Fortunately, a wet winter dampened enthusiasms and Kearney removed the most volatile ingredient by having Freemont arrested for mutiny. The Court Martial papers for a future candidate for the presidency of the United States were forwarded to Washington. Kearny's decisive action did much to exert needed authority. During the winter several meetings were held to discuss the way forward and a clear consensus emerged for convening a constitutional convention in the spring. As 1848 was an election year, that convention would be held under a new administration giving time for new instructions. (Next the ending of the history lesson with the constitutional convention, the 49ers and California becoming a state.)
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