California's 19th-Century Native American Enslavement and Genocide Detailed
In 1846, John Montgomery, commandant of the U.S. Army Northern Department of California, issued a proclamation regarding Native American labor. This edict acknowledged the enslavement of Native Americans on ranches but then mandated their labor for European employers without the right to quit. This marked a significant moment in the widespread use of Native American slaves in 19th-century California, a practice deeply intertwined with the genocidal policies of white settlers. California, despite becoming a Union state, was a hotbed of white supremacy, with settlers from the 1848 Gold Rush expressing hostility towards the diverse population, including Native Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, and Hawaiians. The state's politics in the 1850s were dominated by pro-slavery figures, and while chattel slavery was supported, particularly in Southern California, the most prevalent form of forced labor involved Native Americans. Slave raids against Native communities were common, especially in Northern California, leadi...
