when california was admitted as a state under the compromise of 1850, californians had already decided it was to be a free state. the constitutional convention of 1849 unanimously abolished slavery. as a result, southerners in congress voted against admission in 1850 while northerners pushed it through, pointing to its population of 93,000 and its vast wealth in gold. northern california, which was dominated by mining, shipping, and commercial elites of san francisco, favored becoming a state. in the united states presidential election, 1856, california gave its electoral votes to the winner, james buchanan.