Lesson 2, Mexicans and Californios (for Resources #2-21 and #2-22)

The generic "Written Document Analysis Worksheet" in the Primary Source Activities section is a useful tool for analyzing all of the written documents; however, if students overlook something, the following questions might be used to probe for deeper understanding. Answers might vary, but possible response(s) are provided in brackets.

Excerpt from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1. This treaty marks the end of what event? 

[War with Mexico] 

2. This treaty was signed on February 2, 1848; what had happened just nine days before? 

[Gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, on January 24, 1848.] 

3. What guarantees were made for Mexicans who had been living in the Mexican Cession territories? 

[They could move to Mexico or remain in the United States; those who did not declare their intention to remain Mexican citizens within the year would automatically become U.S. citizens; property rights of all would be "inviolably respected."] 
 

Delegates to the California Constitutional Convention

1. Of what ethnic group were most of the delegates? 

[Majority (75 percent) were white Americans.] 

2. What proportion had lived for a long time (at least five years) in California? 

[29 percent, or 14] 

3. What proportion had been born in California? 

[14.5 percent, or 7 of the 48 delegates] 

4. What was the average age of the delegates? 

[35.9 (36) years] 

5. Are there any familiar people on the list? 

[John Sutter, Mariano Vallejo, Thomas Larkin (American consul to California before the War with Mexico; he was asked to find ways to foment rebellion and make California an American possession), Pacificus Ord (Fort Ord in Monterey was named after him), Antonio M. Pico (member of a prominent pioneer California family, cousin of Pio Pico, last Mexican governor of California)] 

6. Were there any delegates from Los Angeles? How can you tell? 

[Four delegates from "Angeles" are listed. Californios, especially from the south, felt poorly represented, and even more so later on, when most of the state's revenues were based on property taxes. Most of the privately owned land was held by Californios, so they felt that they were paying an undue tax burden. Much of the mining lands were on publicly held government land, so no taxes were generated from them, since taxes were not yet placed on incomes.] 

Part II, Probing Questions for Resources #2-21 and #2-22 

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