Status Updates From Murder State: California's ...

In the nineteenth century, democracy in California represented white male citizens alone. This segment of the population, through its elected representatives, created a system of justice in California poised to destroy Native American communities, cultures, and economies. In other words, the legal system was foundational in the genocide to come.

Approximately 150,000 Native Americans inhabited California in 1848. By 1900 their population was approximately 15,000.

Thousands of Americans going west hated and feared Indians without ever seeing or interacting with an Indian. This hateful core value was the seed of destruction planted in California by Euro-Americans, nourished with greed and blood and brought to a stunted but satisfactory fruition for the planters by the near destruction of California's Native peoples.

Most [19th century] property-holding, adult white male U.S. citizens in California (in other words, the electorate) at the very least tacitly supported the system of atrocities attempting to circumscribe or eliminate Native Americans in the state.