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For the author, see Peter Burnett (author).

Peter Hardeman Burnett (November 15, 1807 – May 17, 1895) was California's first Governor, serving from December 20 1849 to January 9 1851. He had previously served (during December 1849) as California's territorial and military governor.

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Peter Hardeman Burnett was a classic figure of the American West. The man who would be elected California’s first Governor in 1849, earlier moved his family from Tennessee and Missouri to Oregon and later to California. Along the way he worked as a storekeeper, a lawyer, a politician, a farmer and a judge. As a young lawyer in Missouri, Burnett defended a group of Mormons – including Joseph Smith – who were accused of treason, arson and robbery. He died in San Francisco in 1895.

I was anxious to aid in founding a State superior in several respects to those east of the Rocky Mountains. I therefore labored to avoid the evils of intoxication and of mixed races.

[edit] External links

• Biography and Inaugural address

Preceded by: Military Governor of California Bennet Riley

Governor of California 1849–1851

Succeeded by: John McDougall

Governors of California <td style="vertical-align: middle; width: 1px" rowspan="2"> </td>
Burnett • McDougall • Bigler • J. Johnson • Weller • Latham • Downey • Stanford • Low • Haight • Booth • Pacheco • Irwin • Perkins • Stoneman • Bartlett • Waterman • Markham • Budd • Gage • Pardee • Gillett • H. Johnson • Stephens • Richardson • Young • Rolph • Merriam • Olson • Warren • Knight • P. Brown • Reagan • J. Brown • Deukmejian • Wilson • Davis • Schwarzenegger

fr:Peter Burnett