{"product_id":"the-delegates-of-1849-life-stories-of-the-originators-of-californias-reputation-as-a-bold-and-independent-state-9780578511054","title":"The Delegates of 1849: Life Stories of the Originators of California's Reputation as a Bold and Independent State","description":"\u003cp\u003e1849--Gold Rush madness threatened to destroy California. Congress could not decide if the western territory should be admitted as a slave state or a free state. Something had to be done, and newly-appointed Military Governor Bennet C. Riley had the guts to do it: call a constitutional convention. Of the seventy-two men elected, forty-eight delegates left their homes and businesses to come to Monterey and draft a constitution. Their socio-economic backgrounds were as varied as their ages. Yet, they all believed that what they were doing was critical to the future of California. From this six-weeks meeting, a constitution was drafted that declared California a free state and established its boundary, work Congress should have done. The Gold Rush and Civil War have obscured what happened in Monterey. \u003cem\u003eThe Delegates of 1849\u003c\/em\u003e brings to light for the first time the life stories of those forty-eight men who could be considered as California's \"founding fathers.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eEmerson, Laura:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Laura Emerson studied creative writing at UNC-Chapel Hill. She writes short stories, and her human interest articles have been published in local and national magazines. This is her first nonfiction book.","brand":"Laura Anne Emerson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50491828568338,"sku":"9780578511054","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_8c633627-2ce2-4b28-aad2-b4ae6acd3a5e.jpg?v=1730557956","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-delegates-of-1849-life-stories-of-the-originators-of-californias-reputation-as-a-bold-and-independent-state-9780578511054","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}