Our state faced a serious secession crisis in 1860 and 1861.
Transplanted Southerners formed a majority of the voting population in Southern
California as well as in Tulare County. They also formed a sizable minority in
San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Monterey, and San Francisco counties.
California voted for Lincoln--just barely--because the Southerners
were split between other candidates. Attempts at pulling California out of the
Union were suppressed by moving military units, some of them Northern
California volunteers, to the strongholds of secession.
Violence erupted in several places throughout the state. As the
war progressed, however, California's pro-Union groups prevailed and
contributed substantial gold and manpower to the Northern war effort.
Below is a photo from July 4, 1862, of a clash between supporters
of the Union and of the Confederacy in San Francisco at the intersection of
Montgomery and California streets. That's Nob Hill (before cable cars) in the
background.
No comments:
Post a Comment