History of slavery in California facts for kids

Slavery in California started when Spanish settlers arrived and forced Native Californians to work. Later, people from the Southern and Eastern United States also brought their systems of slavery to California. This meant that both Native Californians and people of African descent were forced into labor.

Many free and enslaved people of African descent came to California during the Gold Rush (1848–1855). Some found enough gold to buy their own freedom and the freedom of their families. One of these miners was Edmond Edward Wysinger. He arrived in 1849 and worked hard. It took him about a year to earn $1,000 to buy his freedom.

Spanish Missions and Forced Labor (1769–1820)

The Spanish first settled in California in 1769. They built missions, like Mission San Diego de Alcalá, and military forts. Spanish priests (padres) often moved Native Californians to these missions. There, Native people were forced to work, sometimes without pay.

The padres saw Native Californians as new members of the Catholic Church. However, many soldiers saw them only as workers. Soldiers forced Native Californians to do most of the hard work at the forts. Native Californians often resisted this forced labor, sometimes peacefully and sometimes with violence.

Mexican Rule and Ranchos (1821–1846)

After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, California became part of Mexico. The Mexican government passed laws that gave large areas of land to individuals. They also took land from the missions. This led to the creation of large farms called ranchos.

These ranchos needed many workers. A system developed where Native Californians were forced to work on these large estates. They were often moved between ranchos and became like servants who could not leave.

In 1829, Mexico's President Vicente Guerrero abolished slavery throughout Mexico. This law was partly meant to stop Americans who used enslaved labor from settling in Mexican areas like Texas. However, many Americans still moved to Texas, bringing their enslaved people with them. This led to Texas becoming independent from Mexico. Later, when the United States took over Texas, it helped cause the Mexican-American War. This war eventually led to California becoming part of the United States.

Early California and the Gold Rush (1847–1855)

After Mexico lost the Mexican-American War in 1848, California became a U.S. territory. This change happened under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Forced Labor of Native Californians

Between 1846 and 1855, the Native Californian population greatly decreased. In 1850, California passed the "Act for the Government and Protection of Indians." This law made it legal to force Native people into labor. For example, Native children could be taken as servants, and Native Americans convicted of crimes could be hired out of jail. Also, Native Americans could not speak in court for or against white people.

This law led to a form of slavery. Between 24,000 and 27,000 Native Californians were forced to work by settlers. This included 4,000 to 7,000 children. The U.S. government tried to make treaties with Native Californians, but the Senate rejected them. Later, the government created its own reservations. These reservations often had poor living conditions and forced Native Californians off their traditional lands.

Slavery of African Americans

When California joined the U.S., the country was divided between states that allowed slavery and states that did not. Many slave owners from the Southern U.S. came to California for the Gold Rush, bringing their enslaved people. Other miners worried that slave owners had an unfair advantage.

California did not have laws to support slavery, and there were no slave patrols. This made it risky for slave owners, and many enslaved people were able to escape.

In October 1849, California held its first meeting to write a state constitution. A big debate was whether California would allow slavery. Many Southerners wanted slavery, but Northerners and white miners (who didn't want competition) were against it. Even though the chairman, William Gwin, owned enslaved people, he did not include slavery in the 1849 Constitution. The Compromise of 1850 later allowed California to join the U.S. as a free state.

Even as a free state, California's laws denied voting rights and other civil rights to non-white citizens. Some even tried to ban all African Americans from entering California. However, State Senator David C. Broderick, who was against slavery, stopped this bill from passing.

Slavery still happened in California, even without legal support. Some owners simply did not tell their enslaved people that slavery was illegal. However, many court cases ruled in favor of freedom for enslaved people.

• In 1849, a white man lost a case against a Black man he claimed was his slave. Mexican law, which banned slavery, was used because California was not yet under U.S. rule. This set a legal example that slavery was not recognized in California.
• In 1851, an enslaved man named Frank was caught by his owner in San Francisco. Frank sued his owner. The judge ruled in Frank's favor because he had gained his freedom in California.
• In 1852, a state law about runaway enslaved people was passed. But when this law ended in 1855, the state did not renew it. This led to freedom for a runaway enslaved person named Mitchell in San Jose.
• In 1856, Benjamin Ignatius Hayes freed 14 enslaved people, including Biddy Mason. They had been held in a Mormon settlement for five years. Hayes said they had not known about the laws and their rights.
• In 1858, a long case involved Archy Lee, an enslaved man who ran away. He was arrested four times as judges decided his fate. Archy won his freedom with help from the free Black community in San Francisco. He then moved to Canada to avoid further trouble.

Because of these legal wins, some state leaders became hostile towards the free Black community. Fearing for their safety, over 700 African Americans left California. They traveled by ship and horse to Victoria, Canada, and the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.

Civil War and Freedom (1861–1865)

During the American Civil War, a speaker named Thomas Starr King strongly supported the Union. Abraham Lincoln believed King helped prevent California from becoming a separate country. King also worked with writer Bret Harte, reading Harte's patriotic poems at pro-Union speeches. King raised $1 million for Union soldiers, which was California's largest charity effort during the war.

Slavery was mostly ended in all U.S. states when the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution took effect on December 18, 1865.

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