Constitutional Convention

In 1849, leaders from all over California met in the town of Monterey for the Constitutional Convention. There were 48 delegates, including people who had come from different parts of the United States and other countries. Their job was to create a constitution, which is a set of rules for how a government works. The delegates discussed important topics like voting, laws, education, and how the new state would be governed. After several weeks of meetings and debates, they wrote California’s first constitution and voted to ask the United States to admit California as a state.

California’s statehood was controversial because of the issue of slavery. At the time, the United States was divided between free states, where slavery was illegal, and slave states, where slavery was allowed. Many people worried that adding California would upset the balance of power between free and slave states in Congress. Because California’s constitution banned slavery, Southern leaders feared that free states would gain more influence in the government.

After much debate, Congress passed the Compromise of 1850. This agreement allowed California to enter the United States as a free state on September 9th, 1850. California’s admission helped settle the argument for a short time, but disagreements over slavery continued to grow and eventually led to the American Civil War.