Burnett (Peter H.) Papers, 1849-1885

Collection context

Summary

Title:
Peter H. Burnett papers,
Dates:
1849-1885
Creators:
Burnett, Peter H. (Peter Hardeman), 1807-1895
Extent:
Number of containers: 1 box and 1 oversize folder
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Identifcation of item], Peter H. Burnett papers, BANC MSS C-B 345, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Background

Scope and content:

Mainly documents and letters to and from Burnett as Governor of California, regarding sale of municipal lands in San Francisco and appointments. Contains many petitions, some relating to Collectors of licences to foreign miners, with signatures of members of the Constitutional Convention 1849, and of the first California Legislature. Also includes legal papers, concerning property in Santa Clara County, chiefly in the city of Alviso, 1849-1857.

Biographical / historical:

Trader and lawyer in Missouri and Tennessee, Peter Hardeman Burnett came to Oregon in 1843. In 1848 he joined the miners in California where he acted as agent for Sutter. He was active in urging California to form a state government and was elected first constitutional governor of California in 1849. He resigned his governorship in 1851 to return to law practice, becoming supreme judge in 1857. From 1863 until 1880 he was president of the Pacific Bank of San Francisco.

Acquisition information:
These papers, mainly reflecting Burnett's governorship, were assembled from various sources. In Part I there are items from the T. W. Norris Collection, purchased from John Howell, and from other sources noted on the folders. Items in Part II were from the Boutwell Dunlap Collection, purchased from W. Wreden in 1954.
Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Processed by The Bancroft Library staff
Date Prepared:
© 1996
Date Encoded:
Machine-readable finding aid derived from paper by means of scanning and OCR; OCR file edited for typographical errors before encoding; finding aid encoded by Padma Rubiales. Date: 1962 . Final version edited by Gabriela A. Montoya

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to The Bancroft Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

[Identifcation of item], Peter H. Burnett papers, BANC MSS C-B 345, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481