<P> Convention delegates were chosen by secret ballot but lacking any census data as to California's population and where they lived its representatives only roughly approximated the rapidly changing state population as later shown in the 1850 U.S. California Census taken a year later . The 48 delegates chosen were mostly pre-1846 American settlers; eight were native born Californios who had to use interpreters . The new miners in El Dorado County were grossly under - represented as they had no representatives at the convention despite then being the most populated county in California . After the election the California Constitution Convention met in the small town and former Californio capital of Monterey, California, in September 1849 to write a state constitution . </P> <P> Like all U.S. states' constitutions, the California Constitution adhered closely to the format and government roles set up in the original 1789 U.S. Constitution--differing mainly in details . The Constitutional Convention met for 43 days debating and writing the first California Constitution . The 1849 Constitution copied (with revisions) a lot out of the Ohio and New York Constitutions but had parts that were originally several different state constitutions as well as original material . </P> <P> The 21 - article Declaration of Rights in the California Constitution (Article I: Sec. 1 to Sec. - 21) was broader than the U.S. Constitution's 10 - article Bill of Rights . There were four other significant differences from the U.S. Constitution . The convention chose the boundaries for the state--unlike most other territories, whose boundaries were set by Congress (Article XII). Article IX encouraged statewide education and provided for a system of common schools partially funded by the state and provided for the establishment of a University (University of California). The California version outlawed slavery, except as punishment (Article I Sec. 18) and dueling (Article XI Sec. 2) and gave women and wives the right to own and control their own property (Article XI Sec. 14). </P> <P> The debt limit for the state was set at $300,000 (Article VIII). Like all other states they guaranteed the rights of citizens to sue in Civil court to uphold the rights of contracts and property (Article I Sec. 16). They created a court system with a supreme court with judges who had to be confirmed every 12 years. (Article VI) They set up the states original 29 counties (Article I Sec. 4), created a legislature of two houses, set up polling places to vote, set up uniform taxation rules . The 1849 Constitution guaranteed the right to vote to "Every citizen of California, declared a legal voter by this Constitution, and every citizen of the United States, a resident of this State on the day of election, shall be entitled to vote at the first general election under this Constitution, and on the question of the adoption thereof (Article XII Sec. 5)". </P>

When did the native californians first reach california