Lesson 3: Statehood and the First Constitution

The Gold Rush brought chaos, so California needed a government fast. In 1849, 48 delegates met in Monterey to write the state's first constitution. The delegates were a diverse group, including Americans and Californios.

Their most important debate was about slavery. They ultimately decided that California would enter the Union as a Free State, banning slavery entirely. They also wrote unique laws allowing married women to own property separately from their husbands.

California asked to join the United States, but Congress was arguing over slavery. Southern states did not want another free state to upset the balance of power.

To solve this, Congress passed the Compromise of 1850. Under this agreement, California was admitted as the 31st state (a free state). In exchange, stricter laws were passed to help slaveholders capture escaped slaves. On September 9, 1850, California officially became a state.

The new Constitution of 1849 set up a government similar to the U.S. federal system. It created three branches to share power: a Governor to enforce laws, a Legislature to make laws, and a Supreme Court to interpret them.

The goal was to bring order to the lawless Gold Rush society. It also established the state's boundaries (separating California from what is now Nevada) and set up a system for public schools, laying the foundation for the modern state.