California Republic
The California Republic
28 Days of Independence: By Logan Craine
Alta California was first sighted by Spain in the 1500s by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. Cabrillo met with natives in the San Diego Bay to establish relations. He moved up the coast on his galleon and explored the present-day Los Angeles coastline. After departing the Los Angeles coastline he headed out back for Mexico and explored the Channel Islands where he died. Cabrillo’s exploration though gave Spain the right it needed to own Alta California. And proclaim dominance over a newfound territory fresh for the taking. Alta California would be Spanish for 300 years afterward.
This Boat is similar to the one Cabrillo sailed on
The Mission system was implemented to help colonize California and create a Spanish colony. The first mission was San Diego de Alcala which would become the city of San Diego California. Then the Spanish colonized upwards in California. Many missions, towns, and presidios were established, such as San Juan Bautista, Santa Ines, and Santa Barbara. Presidios were forts in colonial California designed to secure Spanish control of the region and suppress native rebellions by tribes such as the Chumash, Miwok, and Kumeyaay. The Presidio of San Francisco still stands as a military fort today.
Spanish California did not see much fighting in the Mexican War for Independence and most of the territories north of the Rio Grande were considered backwaters when Mexico was granted independence. The mission system was taken out of effect after Mexico gained independence and military presence was still authorized. Alta California swore allegiance to Mexico in 1822 and elected a representative to the Mexican government.
In 1836, Monterey Born Juan Bautista Alvarado led a revolt against the 1836 constitution and seized control of Monterey. This almost led to a civil war with loyalist forces based in Los Angeles but a ceasefire was arranged between the two parties. Alvarado was a proponent of an Independent California and wanted independence from Mexico. Alvardo would serve as Governor of Alta California.
By the time of Pio Pico, the annexation of the nearby Republic of Texas had begun and tensions were brewing between the U.S and Mexico. Pio Pico would serve as the last Mexican Governor of Alta California and would see the Bear Flag Revolt. Juan Bautista Alvarado played a part in the Bear Flag Revolt and Pio Pico asked John Sutter at Sutter’s Mill to send a force to capture the rebels. John Sutter played a part against Pio Pico and decided to join Alvarado’s side. At the Battle of Provincia, the two sides fought.
John Marsh signaled for a parley and they captured Sutter and restored the governorship to Pio Pico. Pio Pico fled to Mexico in 1846 During the Mexican American War and returned in 1853 and was given U.S citizenship and was elected to the Los Angeles city council. Pio Pico would become one of the wealthiest businessmen in California. And lost much of his fortune to gambling at the end of his life.
The Bear Flag Revolt existed from June 9th to July 14th. Californio settlers met with John C. Fremont to discuss the possibilities of the revolt. Soon a plan was put into place to take control of Sonoma and spread the revolt from there to other places in California. Over 30 Americans arrived at Sonoma Pueblo. Soldiers under the leadership of William Ide and Ezekiel Merritt.. knocked on General Vallejo’s door and he opened it dressed in his Mexican Army uniform. General Vallejo invited the rebels in for drinks and fare and was arrested for treason a few hours later. By Meritt. Soon the rebels took over the Sonoma Barracks and made it their headquarters. William and Ide declared California a republic the next day in a bloodless victory at Sonoma. This was the beginning of the Bear Flag Revolt.
After taking control of Sonoma, William and Ide realized that this new republic was desperately in need of a new flag. What was this flag to be? A Tricolor? American stars and stripes? No, it was a Bear Flag, a symbol of a new republic. The flag was raised in Sonoma in June 1846 and marked the beginning of the 28-day republic of California.
Sacramento became a stronghold of the Bear Flag Rebellion. John C. Fremont seized control of the fort and used it as a rebel fortress and took control of the fort away from Sutter.
Soon the rebels were engaged in the battle of Olympia. In June 1846 a group of Bear Flaggers and Mexican Soldiers gathered outside of Camilo Ynita’s abode. 7 men were injured and 1 man was killed. This was popularized as the battle of Olompali as a heroic battle for the struggle in California and would be the most defining battle in the 28 days of the republic’s existence.
On July 1st, Fremont took control of the Presidio of San Francisco from the Spanish and learned about 2 weeks later that the United States had captured Monterey. Commodore John D. Slote raised the American flag and took the city without a fight. This news had not reached the republic and it soon relinquished to the United States and faded to obscurity in the larger conflict of the Mexican American War which would play itself out in many battles in California such as San Pasqual and across California.
The formation of the California battalion helped win the Mexican American War and bring California closer to the United States and helped us win the Mexican American War. And tied California and the U.S together before the gold rush’s Americanizing period.
The Bear Flag Republic could not have survived without the United States’ help and support for its citizens and would have not been able to stay neutral in the Mexican American War’s greater sphere of influence and conflict if it had remained independent. When the U.S annexed it created the coast-to-coast U.S that could tackle the Imperialist age of the early 1900s and the world wars to come. California would not be the same without the Bear Flag Republic and the revolt of 1846.