Governor John Bigler | Born: Jan. 8, 1806. Died: Nov. 9, 1871
Bigler, who was a Democrat, became the first Speaker of the Assembly during the state's first legislature in 1849. Eventually he became California's third governor in 1852 and was re-elected in 1854. He was the first governor to win re-election.
During his tenure as governor, Bigler was a a proponent of anti-immigration and anti-Chinese law and supported the 1850 Foreign Miners Tax, however, he did form the Free Soil Democrats which fought the spread of slavery. In February 1854, Bigler signed into California law stating that Sacramento would be the state's capital.
Eventually he was appointed to the position of U.S. Minister to Chile by President James Buchanan. He served this position from 1857 to 1861.