Alex Vassar is an author and historian who has worked for both houses of the state legislature. The latest edition of his book “California Lawmaker” was published in January.
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Pistols, Gun Duels, Affairs and Even Murder: The Colorful History of California
In honor of California's 175th birthday, we look back on its eventful early days
California politics in the first years after Congress approved statehood on September 9, 1850, were ever-changing and confusing — and occasionally violent to a degree that’s hard to imagine.