California & the civil war
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Transcript of 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
