Peter Hardeman Burnett was the first American Governor of California after the Mexican-American War. During his administration, Peter Hardeman took a hard line against the Native American population through his support of the Indian Act of 1850 which legalized indentured servitude of Native Americans found off of reservations.
In 1851, Peter Hardeman Burnett stated, “That a war of extermination will continue to be waged between the races, until the Indian race becomes extinct, must be expected”.
On May 17, 1895, Peter Hardeman Burnett passed away in San Francisco.
Hamilton Historical Records 