Wherever There's a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California

Elinson, Elaine and Stan Yogi. 2009. Wherever There's a Fight: How Runaway Slaves, Suffragists, Immigrants, Strikers, and Poets Shaped Civil Liberties in California. Berkley: Heyday Books.

 California being a new state had the attention of many travelers and settlers. People were lining up to own the newly acquired land. When creating the state constitution there were laws created that were a good idea on paper but did not stem from a genuine place. Due to the lack of women in California they created a law that said a wife could keep all her possessions that she had before the marriage and any possessions she had during marriage. It was only created to attract women and in particular rich women. When California was officially considered a state they turned their attention to the Native Americans who were occupying most of the land, which was a major problem to the white people of California.  California legislatures worked with the Native Americans to come up with a treaty but it never had a chance of becoming a reality. There were bounties out for the Native Americans, which was funded and issued by the state of California. Any Native Americans who survived was tormented by California’s at will due to the lack of power the Native Americans had in their native land now called California. After the Californians received help in the gold mining the true colors of California will know be seen publically. The constitution that was created by both Spanish and English speaking people soon went out the window; all minorities were targeted and tormented for not being white. With the success of the gold rush California is gaining in population and popularity there was a need for a new constitution. The constitution was geared for the better treatment of whites and minorities suffered but not like the Chinese did.

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