Peter Hardeman Burnett

Peter Hardeman Burnett
Burnett, c. 1860s
1st Governor of California
In office
December 20, 1849 – January 9, 1851
LieutenantJohn McDougal
Preceded byBennet C. Riley (as military governor)
Succeeded byJohn McDougal
5th Supreme Judge of the Provisional Government of Oregon
In office
September 6, 1845 – December 29, 1846
Preceded byJames Nesmith
Succeeded byJesse Quinn Thornton
Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court
In office
January 13, 1857 – October 12, 1857
Appointed byGovernor J. Neely Johnson
Preceded bySolomon Heydenfeldt
Succeeded byStephen J. Field
Personal details
Born(1807-11-15)November 15, 1807
Nashville, Tennessee, United States
DiedMay 17, 1895(1895-05-17) (aged 87)
San Francisco, California, United States
Resting placeSanta Clara Mission Cemetery[1]
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1828; died 1879)​
Children6
RelativesCaius T. Ryland (son-in-law)[2][3]
Signature

Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807 – May 17, 1895) was an American politician who served as 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 in September 1850.[a]

Raised in a slave-owning family in Missouri, Burnett moved westward after his business career left him heavily in debt.[4] 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. He authored the "Burnett's lash law" that authorized the flogging of any free blacks who refused to leave Oregon;[5] the law was deemed "unduly harsh" and went unenforced before voters rescinded it in 1845.[6][4]

In 1848, Burnett moved to California during the height of the California gold rush. He re-established his political career and was appointed to serve on the Supreme Court of California. In this capacity, Burnett ordered the extradition of Archy Lee, a formerly enslaved man living in Sacramento, back to Mississippi.[7] Though Burnett himself had enslaved two people, he opposed calls to make California a slave state, instead pushing for the total exclusion of African Americans in California.[8]

As Governor, Burnett signed into law the so-called Act for the Government and Protection of Indians, which enabled the enslavement of Native Californians and contributed to their genocide. He declared in an 1851 speech, "[t]hat a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the races until the Indian race becomes extinct must be expected. While we cannot anticipate the result with but painful regret, the inevitable destiny of the race is beyond the power and wisdom of man to avert."[9] Efforts by federal negotiators to preserve some Native land rights were fought by the administration of Burnett, who favored the elimination of California's indigenous peoples.[10][11] Furthermore, Burnett is noted for being an early proponent of the exclusion of Chinese immigrant laborers from California, and following his governorship would advocate for the federal Chinese Exclusion Act.[12][13]

  1. ^ "Index to Politicians: Burnett". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  2. ^ Bancroft 1890, p. 334
  3. ^ "The Letitia Building" (PDF). Goldman School of Public Policy. 2014-06-28. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Peter Burnett (1807-1895) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference SJMN20110520 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Black Exclusion Laws in Oregon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Archy Lee - Gold Chains: The Hidden History of Slavery in California". ACLU of Northern CA. 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Blakemore, Erin. "California's Little-Known Genocide". HISTORY. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference calgoldrush was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Nokes, R. Gregory (2018-04-19). "The Golden State's Unpopular Pro-Slavery Governor". Zócalo Public Square. Retrieved 2021-06-26.


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