Miners
had to create their own laws and government when they first arrived in
California. They had to do so because California was not organized with
a government yet; it was not a state. The miners in the mining camps
had to call a camp meeting, elect a presiding officer, a recorder, and
sometimes a marshal. The miners would call a camp meeting for two
reasons. The first reason was that they made laws; the second reason
was that they enforced the laws. Also, if a miner felt mistreated by
another miner, or wanted a problem solved, the miner could call a camp
meeting. The camp meetings were quick, rough, and democratic. Often,
judges did not give minorities a fair trial because they were not like
any of the white miners. The white miners, though, always had a fair
trial. The system worked this way because minorities were not treated
fairly. Sometimes, decisions were made by judges and juries, and
occasionally punishments were death by hanging for crimes like robbery
of gold and claim squatting.
