california & the civil war

California became a US territory in 1848

James W. Marshall (a worker building a sawmill for John Sutter) Discovered gold in the riverbed

Marshall tried to keep it secret but rumors spread like wildfire that there was gold in the California territory

Eventually a few pieces were sent to Washington where the rumors became facts.

oSettlers Created there own order in California

oThey created there own constitution and demanded to be a state

oMost Miners hated slavery due to rich people being able to have there slaves mine the gold faster for them

The acquisition and Admission of CA threw the balance off between Slave and free states

South threatened to secede from union once the debate for CA to become a free/slave state started

The south got New Mexico and Utah for CA to become a free state during the compromise of 1850

Accepted as a state after the compromise of 1850, it was allowed to ban slavery but must return run away slaves. This applied to ALL free states after this point in time