Why, and how, did San Francisco

business men go to war with the new state

of California in 1856?
By: Christopher Carbone Jr. and Rafael Valdez
Thoughts/Opinions?
Based on the question, we would like the
audience to make claims on what they
think.
Background Information
Before gold was discovered in San Francisco in 1848, the population of
San Francisco totaled around 900 people.
Two years later, the population totaled with more than 200,000 people.
The exponential population growth made law enforcement impossible
and order was very hard to maintain.
Since the law was pretty much useless, there were a lot of criminal
bands robbing people of their possessions.
The First San Francisco Vigilance
Committee.

The first vigilance committee was solely created in 1851 to bring justice
to the city. They numbered around 200 people.
Most of the members were high in the social hierarchy(elite professionals
and merchants).
People they found guilty of a serious crime were often hanged but most
of the time, they were deported to another state or country.
When things quieted down, the vigilance committee decided to disband.
The Second Vigilance Committee.
During the year of 1855, crime began to increase again.
Because of the gold rush, people had less interest in political business
and city fell into crime again.
James King, decided to voice his opinions on the corruptions in the city
newspaper. He accused criminals and corrupt city officials.
James P. Casey, shot King on May 14, 1856 when King accused him of
rigging his own election.
When James King died the community began to take action.
The Second Vigilance Committee Cont.
After the death of James King, members of the first vigilance committee
started to form a new vigilance committee.
On May 20, 1856, they numbered around 3500 members.
They then gathered around the jail that Casey was held in and demanded
that he be brought over.
Casey was then tried and he was found guilty. He was then hanged.
Late in 1856, the committee disbanded for the last time and they have
not been active ever since.
So How Does It Connect To The Crucible?
Answer: Flaws in both the legal and political systems
The Crucible had many instances in which the justice system was flawed.
San Franciscos political system was corrupt.
Both had instances where a party realizes that action was necessary.
What separated these two events was that the vigilance committee
succeeded in their goal of suppressing crime and fixing corruption, while
no one in the Crucible managed to prove that Abigail was a liar.




Citations

1.Second vigilante committee organizes in San Francisco. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2014 from
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/second-vigilante-committee-organizes-in-san-francisco

2.San Francisco Vigilance Committees of 1851 and 1856. (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2014 from http://legal-
dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/San+Francisco+Vigilance+Committees+of+1851+and+1856.

3. Kamiya, G. (2014, August 1). 1856 Vigilantes Changed Corrupt Political System. Retrieved August 30, 2014, from
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/1856-vigilantes-changed-corrupt-political-system-5663654.php

4.Commonplace: Sex, Vigilantism, and San Francisco in 1856. (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2014 from http://www.common-
place.org/vol-03/no-04/san-francisco/