Kern and Sutter massacres facts for kids

The Kern and Sutter massacres were a series of violent attacks that took place on March 23, 1847. During these events, groups of men led by Captain Edward M. Kern and rancher John Sutter killed twenty California Indians. These attacks happened in the upper Sacramento Valley in what was then called Alta California.

What Happened?

John Sutter's Settlement

In 1839, a man named John Sutter, who was from Switzerland, moved to Alta California. He started building a large, strong settlement on a huge piece of land. This land was given to him by the Mexican government. It was supposed to help prevent Americans from taking over the area.

Sutter needed many workers to build his fort and develop his large ranch and farms. He often made Native Americans work for him. People at the time said he forced them to work and treated them very badly. If Native Americans refused to work, Sutter would use violence against them. One writer in 1846 said that Sutter kept hundreds of Native Americans in a "complete state of Slavery."

Why Did It Happen?

Even though he promised the Mexican government he would keep Americans out, Sutter welcomed many American settlers. These settlers took huge amounts of land from Native Americans. This land was important for the Native Americans to find food and other resources.

As more White settlers arrived, they raised millions of animals and hunted wild game. They also turned wild lands into farms. This meant there was less food available for Native Americans. Because of this, some Native Americans started taking cattle from the White ranchers. In 1846, a newspaper article suggested that the only way to stop these actions was to "attack them in their villages."

The Attacks Begin

On February 28, 1847, some settlers asked US Army Captain Edward M. Kern for help. They were worried about attacks from local Native Americans. Captain Kern quickly gathered twenty of his own men. He marched them up the valley to "chastise" (which means to punish) the Native Americans. There, he met John Sutter, who had brought thirty men from the local settlers.

On March 23, 1847, Captain Kern and Sutter led these men into the upper Sacramento Valley. They launched three separate attacks. In these attacks, twenty Native Americans were killed. Kern and Sutter's men did not lose anyone.

What Were the Consequences?

After these attacks, none of the men involved faced any punishment. Captain Kern later wrote a letter claiming that his attacks had convinced the Native Americans to stop taking cattle from the Americans.

Aftermath

Laws Affecting Native Americans

Years later, on April 22, 1850, the new California state government passed a law. It was called the "Act for the Government and Protection of Indians." This law made it legal for White settlers to kidnap Native Americans and force them to work.

In 1851, California's governor said that a "war of extermination" would continue until the Native American people were gone. This idea soon became part of the law. A law passed in 1851 allowed settlers to form groups to kill Native Americans. It even let them ask the government to pay for their expenses. By 1852, the state had approved over a million dollars for these claims.

In 1856, a newspaper said that killing Native Americans was the "quickest and cheapest remedy." In 1860, another law was passed that made it even easier to force Native Americans into slavery. A newspaper at the time said that rich people were pushing for this law so they could profit from enslaved Native Americans. It explained how wealthy people used the law to get Native American slaves from reservations. The newspaper called it "a complete system of slavery."

Forced Labor Continues

On April 27, 1863, California finally made it illegal to enslave Native Americans. This was five months after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved African Americans. However, forced labor of Native Americans continued. It was often called "apprenticeship" or other names, and it went on until at least 1874.