California Statehood

California Statehood
Matthew P. Fernandez
College of the Canyons

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California Statehood

California is one of the most important states in the country due to its huge population
and tremendous economic impact. Originally a territory of Mexico, it faced a tremendous
amount of conflict and underhanded trickery by the Americans in order to become a state.
California was a land of opportunity. The English, French, and the Americans all had eyes
on the territory due to its coastal location and prime placement for trade and industry, for
example whaling (Osborne, 2013). Both the British and the Americans had an active presence in
California, and though both sides clashed on the eastern side of the continent, they more or les
cooperated on the western front to ensure that the Mexican Californios did not take aggressive
action and assert dominance over the state. At this stage, routes to acquisition were not yet in
place and the main concern was protection of trade interests.
Eventually, with the heat of Manifest Destiny in full swing and the Monroe Doctrine
essentially yet toothlessly decreeing American dominance in all international matters of the
western hemisphere, America looked to expand its holdings from sea to shining sea.
Convinced that God was with America and intended for the country to dominate the continent,
politicians and military personnel, such as senator Thomas Benton and his son in law General
John C. Fremont, lobbied Congress and took military action to ensure the acquisition of
California (Manifest Destiny). While other nations initially took interest in acquiring California,
early skirmishes between military forces and Californios showed American commitment towards
the land and decided back down rather than face a potentially bloody, three-sided conflict.
Initial conquests and returns of land stymied negotiations to peacefully acquire
California. Polks preferred method of acquisition was through negotiation and purchase,
however, it now seemed that war was the only remaining option. Fremont and others stirred up

California Statehood

revolutionary sentiments in California and set up the Bear Flag movement as a guerilla force that
sought to incite war with Mexico. One of the main strategies was to coerce and provoke the
Mexicans and Californios into attacking first, thus justifying US military intervention (Osborne,
2013). War did break out, however the US emerged triumphant and through the Treaty of
Guadalupe-Hidalgo, the Mexico officially ceded the disputed territory to America.
Around this time, the California gold rush had invigorated travel into the area, thereby
making it easy to achieve the 60,000 residents required for consideration for statehood
(California becomes the 31st state in record time, 2009). Debate went on in the 1848 political
convention whether or not to become a state or territory, with full statehood winning a majority
vote. The slave trade was banned in California largely due to the efforts of Leland Stanford
(California and the Civil War). Disputes over taxation eventually lead to talks and groups
dedicated to secession from the Union and of a separate state of Southern California separated
from its northern half at the edge of San Louis Obispo county, where the mining and farming
industries roughly divide, however dependence on trade and resources from the northern states
prevented any serious attempts to split.
The 31st state started out as a nice area for oceanic industry and trade then became a war
zone, gold country, and eventually one of the most important and iconic areas in the world.
Manifest Destiny and fear of international dominance inspired America to take the Mexican
territory for its own, while gold, farmland, its ideal trade location, and other factors made it a
worthwhile acquisition.

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Works Cited

History.com Staff (2009). California becomes the 31st state in record time. Retrieved from
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/california-becomes-the-31st-state-in-recordtime
Oakland Museum of California. California & the Civil War. Retrieved from
http://www.museumca.org/picturethis/timeline/early-statehood-1850-1880s/californiacivil-war/info
Oakland Museum of California. Manifest Destiny. Retrieved from http://www.museumca.org/
picturethis/timeline/early-california-pre-1769-1840s/manifest-destiny/info
Osborne , Thomas J. (2013). Pacific Eldorado: The History of Greater California. Malden, MA:
Wiley Blackwell.