On This Day
·

Peter Burnett elected first governor of California

Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807 – May 17, 1895) was an American politician, the first elected governor of California from December 20, 1849, to January 9, 1851.

Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807 – May 17, 1895) was an American politician, the first elected governor of California from December 20, 1849, to January 9, 1851. Burnett was elected Governor almost one year before California's admission to the Union as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.

Raised in a slave-owning family in Missouri, Burnett moved westward after his business career left him heavily in debt. Initially residing in Oregon Country, he became Supreme Judge of the Provisional Government of Oregon. While in Oregon politics, he pushed for the total exclusion of African Americans from the territory.

Historical Significance

Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807 – May 17, 1895) was an American politician, the first elected governor of California from December 20, 1849, to January 9, 1851.

Events Before

  1. British forces forcibly seize the port of San Juan del Norte (later Greytown) from Nicaragua

    British forces forcibly seize the port of San Juan del Norte (later Greytown) from Nicaragua

  2. James Marshall finds gold in Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California [1]

    The California gold rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush in California, which began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California.

  3. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican–American War. Mexico loses 55 percent of its territory to the US, including

    Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends the Mexican–American War. Mexico loses 55 percent of its territory to the US, including California, Nevada and Utah in exchange for $15 million.

  4. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels publish "The Communist Manifesto" in London

    The Communist Manifesto (German: Das Kommunistische Manifest), originally the Manifesto of the Communist Party (Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei), is a political pamphlet written by Karl Marx and…

  5. Confederate General James Longstreet (27) weds Maria Louisa Garland in Lynchburg, Virginia

    Confederate General James Longstreet (27) weds Maria Louisa Garland in Lynchburg, Virginia

Events After

  1. Senator Henry Clay drafts the Compromise of 1850 to defuse tensions between slave states and free states over territorie

    Senator Henry Clay drafts the Compromise of 1850 to defuse tensions between slave states and free states over territories won during the Mexican–American War

  2. French writer and playwright Honoré de Balzac marries Ewelina Hańska in Berdyczów, Ukraine

    French writer and playwright Honoré de Balzac marries Ewelina Hańska in Berdyczów, Ukraine

  3. American Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman (30) weds Eleanor Boyle Ewing in Washington, D.C., until her death

    American Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman (30) weds Eleanor Boyle Ewing in Washington, D.C., until her death in 1888

  4. Poet Alfred Tennyson (40) weds Emily Sellwood (36)

    Poet Alfred Tennyson (40) weds Emily Sellwood (36)

  5. First public demonstration of ice made via refrigeration by Florida physician John Gorrie

    First public demonstration of ice made via refrigeration by Florida physician John Gorrie

More from the 1840s

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Explorer and medical missionary David Livingstone (31) weds Mary Moffat

David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa.

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

New York Illustrated News, the first illustrated weekly magazine in the US, publishes its first issue in New York

The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 13, 1849?
Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807 – May 17, 1895) was an American politician, the first elected governor of California from December 20, 1849, to January 9, 1851. Burnett was elected Governor almost one year before California's admission to the Union as the 31st state on September 9, 1850. Raised in a slave-owning family in Missouri, Burnett moved westward after his business career left him heavily in debt.
Why is Peter Burnett elected first governor of California significant?
Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807 – May 17, 1895) was an American politician, the first elected governor of California from December 20, 1849, to January 9, 1851.

Explore More

November 13 in HistoryYear 1849