Author: V. Iyengar, Megaphone Editor-in-chief

📍Sacramento, CA

Today, Sacramento is well known to residents of California as our state’s official capital city, being the location of the Governor’s Mansion, the Capitol Building, and the epicenter of California’s politics. However, for the first 4 years of California’s time as a U.S. state, this was not the case. 

As per the United State’s victory in the Mexican-American war in 1848, Mexico was forced to cede their claims to their land north of the Rio Grande River to the United States. This territory went on to become the states of Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, most of Arizona, and California. In the same year, gold was discovered in the American River near Sacramento, ushering in the 1849 Gold Rush. The Gold Rush was a major turning point in the history of the United States, as it boosted the Californian population and economy, leading to increased support and merit for California’s bid for statehood in 1849. In September 1849, delegates met in Monterey for California’s Constitutional Convention. This constitution was modeled after the one’s written for Iowa and New York. Soon, slightly over a year after the United States acquired the land, California submitted its bid for statehood, officially entering the United States as a free (slave-free) state on September 9th, 1850.

In accordance with a decision made by California’s state Supreme Court, San Jose was named the first capital of California. The city was chosen for its central location, mild climate, and for the fact that it was one of the most established settlements in California. 

San Jose was founded in 1777 by Spanish settlers. It was named “El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe” and was located on the Spanish colony of Nueva. Throughout its time under Spanish control, San Jose mainly served as a farming community to support Spanish military installations at San Francisco and Monterey. Later, in the mid 19th century, when Mexico gained its independence, California was then under the control of Mexico, Monterey became the political, cultural, and religious capital of California.

Political activities under the state of California commenced in late 1850. San Jose was the location of the first two California state legislatures. The Legislature took place in a two-story adobe hotel. Legislators were dissatisfied with the accommodations that San Jose was willing to provide. Therefore, in 1851, less than two years after being named California’s capital, the title was revoked and given to Vallejo in 1852, where similar complaints about the accommodations persisted. Then, Benicia was briefly the capital in 1853, until finally, in 1854, Sacramento was chosen as the permanent capital of California. Contributing to this decision were many factors. The city’s proximity to the Sacramaneo and American Rivers made it a vital trade and transportation center during the Gold Rush. Additionally, the city offered the state government better facilities to hold their political affairs.  So, Sacramento became the capital city of California, a title which it has held for 70 years.