U.S. California

• Indigenous Nations• Spain• Mexico• United States

Treaty of Guadalupe-HidalgoCreating the Border

Article V (The Border)The boundary line between the two Republics shall commence in the Gulf of Mexico, three leagues from land, opposite the mouth of the Rio Grande, otherwise called Rio Bravo del Norte, or Opposite the mouth of its deepest branch, if it should have more than one branch emptying directly into the sea; from thence up the middle of that river, following the deepest channel, where it has more than one, to the point where it strikes the southern boundary of New Mexico; thence, westwardly, along the whole southern boundary of New Mexico (which runs north of the town called Paso) to its western termination; thence, northward, along the western line of New Mexico, until it intersects the first branch of the river Gila; (or if it should not intersect any branch of that river, then to the point on the said line nearest to such branch, and thence in a direct line to the same); thence down the middle of the said branch and of the said river, until it empties into the Rio Colorado; thence across the Rio Colorado, following the division line between Upper and Lower California, to the Pacific Ocean.

“The Border”

1,954 miles

Border in New Mexico

San Diego Tijuana

Tijuana San Diego

Nogales, Arizona Nogales, Sonora

“The Fence”

About 650 miles of fence

Background

Birth of the

State of California

Only the Mission Zone

had been heavily

impacted prior to the US takeover

Mission Zone

Early California

Early California

Early California

Early California

Early California

Early California

Monterey, 1850

California Constitutional ConventionColton Hall

California Constitutional ConventionColton Hall 2nd Floor

More than 350 Pages

More than 500 Amendmentsin 130 Years

California Constitution1849 CA Constitution 1879 CA Constitution

Who Wrote the California Constitution?

Roster of Delegates to the

California Constitutional Convention

in 1849

Debates at theCalifornia Constitutional Convention

In the File Cabinet on our course web site,

there is a link to this report.

Which Civil RightsShall People Have in California?

Read the debate on

Rights at the

California Constitutional

Convention

Civil Rights

California Constitution

1849

Who will be allowed to

Vote in California?

Read the debate on

Voting Rights at the

California Constitutional

Convention

Voting Rights

California Constitution

1849

US Takes Control

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

February 2, 1848

Gold Discovered in California

January 24, 1848

California Gold Rush1848-1855

(January 24, 1848)

Estimated

Population of CaliforniaMexicans Indians Whites Blacks Asians Total

1840s 10,000 150,000 2,000 NA 0 160,000

1850s NA 40,000 90,000 1,000 NA 130,000

1860s NA 18,000 325,000 4,100 35,000 380,000

1,872 People 4,739 People

Estimated

% Hispanics in Monterey County