Political affairs in California were
confused and chaotic in the early years of the gold rush. Deadlocked
over the future of slavery in lands acquired during the Mexican
American War, Congress provided no legal form of government for
California until its admission to the union in the fall of 1850.
Impatient Californians assembled in a constitutional
convention in Monterey in 1849 to engage in some serious constitution
making.
The delegates to the convention drafted a constitution that established
the fundamental structure of California government. They also
attended to such minor matters as approving a design for the great
seal
of the state of California.
President Millard Fillmore signed a bill for the
admission of California on September 9, 1850, a date celebrated
forever after as Admission Day.
California political affairs remained
somewhat unsettled as the roving capital moved from city to city
in search of a permanent
home.
