California Republic
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The California Republic, also called the Bear Flag Republic, was the result of a revolt by Americans on June 14, 1846, in the town of Sonoma against the authorities of the Mexican province of California; the Republic lasted less than a month. The republic eventually became the present-day state of California.
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[edit] Bear Flag Revolt
U.S. Army Major John C. Frémont had spread rumors of impending action against settlers by the Mexican government and encouraged rebellion. A group of thirty-three men strode into the Sonoma town center, and raised a flag with a bear and star on it (the "Bear Flag") to symbolize a new California Republic, independent from Mexico. This use of the flag led these actions to be dubbed the "Bear Flag Revolt."
That same day, the men captured the former Mexican Comandante of Northern California, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, who was the leader of a private military company at the Presidio of Sonoma. Vallejo was taken prisoner and sent to Sutter's Fort where he was imprisoned through August 1, 1846. The Republic's first and only president was William B. Ide[1], whose term lasted twenty-five days. On June 23, 1846, Frémont arrived with his force of sixty soldiers and took over command of the combined forces. The Mexican governor was concerned, and he sent 50 troops to attack the Bear Flaggers. General José Castro attempted to stop the revolt, but his forces were sorely defeated at the Battle of Olompali.
Unknown to the men, war had already been declared on May 13, 1846 between the United States and Mexico, but the news took until mid-July 1846 to reach California: On July 7, 1846 a frigate (Savannah) and two sloops (Cyane and Levant) of the U.S. Navy, commanded by John D. Sloat, routed the detachment of the Mexican Coast Guard garrisoning the port of Monterey, California[2] [3] in a minor skirmish (the Battle of Monterey), and alerted Frémont and his men that the Mexican-American War had begun. In response the "Bear Flaggers" abandoned the idea of the Republic, and joined the efforts to make California part of the United States. They replaced their flag with the Stars and Stripes. Ide was demoted from president to private in the "California Battalion" controlled by Frémont.
[edit] Bear Flag
The most noticeable legacy of the California Republic is the adoption by the State of California of the 1846 Bear Flag as the basis of the modern state Flag of California; the modern flag also has a star, a grizzly bear, and a colored stripe and the words "California Republic" near the bottom. The site on Sonoma Plaza of the raising of the original Bear Flag is commemorated as a California Historical Landmark.
The Bear Flag was designed and made by, William L. Todd, who was a nephew of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of future president Abraham Lincoln. Todd painted the flag on a piece of domestic cotton cloth, roughly a yard and a half in length. The flag featured a red star imitating Texas's lone star and what he intended to be a representation of a common bear in California.[4]
The bear was described as being en passant (walking),[1] but on the original flag the bear was drawn statant (standing). Statant and en passant are terms used in heraldry. This oversight (if oversight it was) has been corrected on the modern California flag, which shows the bear walking.
The original flag was destroyed in the fires following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. A replica of that flag, created in 1896 for the 50th Anniversary celebrations, is now on display at El Presidio de Sonoma which was established in 1836 by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo as a part of Mexico's strategy to halt Russian incursions into the region.
[edit] Proclamation of the Bear Flag Revolt
William B. Ide wrote the first proclamation of independence on the night of June 14-15, 1846, and released it on the fifteenth:[5]
To all persons, citizens of Sonoma, requesting them to remain at peace, and to follow their rightful occupations without fear of molestation.
The Commander in Chief of the Troops assembled at the Fortress of Sonoma gives his inviolable pledge to all persons in California not found under arms that they shall not be disturbed in their persons, their property or social relations one to another by men under his command.
He also solemnly declares his object to be First, to defend himself and companions in arms who were invited to this country by a promise of Lands on which to settle themselves and families who were also promised a "republican government," who, when having arrived in California were denied even the privilege of buying or renting Lands of their friends, who instead of being allowed to participate in or being protected by a "Republican Government" were oppressed by a "Military Despotism," who were even threatened, by "Proclamation" from the Chief Officer of the aforesaid Despotism, with extermination if they would not depart our of the Country, leaving all of their property, their arms and beasts of burden, and thus deprived of the means of flight or defense. We were to be driven through deserts, inhabited by hostile Indians to certain destruction. To overthrow a Government which has seized upon the property of the Missions for its individual aggrandizement; which has ruined and shamefully oppressed the laboring people of California, by their enormous exactions on goods imported into this country; is the determined purpose of the brave men who are associated under his command.
He also solemnly declares his object in the Second place to be to invite all peaceable and good Citizens of California who are friendly to the maintenance of good order and equal rights (and I do hereby invite them to repair to my camp at Sonoma without delay) to assist us in establishing and perpetuating a "Republican Government" which shall secure to all: civil and religious liberty; which shall detect and punish crime; which shall encourage industry, virtue and literature; which shall leave unshackled by Fetters, Commerce, Agriculture, and Mechanism.
He further declares that he relies upon the rectitude of our intentions; the favor of Heaven and the bravery of those who are bound to and associated with him, by the principle of self preservation; by the love of truth; and by the hatred of tyranny for his hopes of success.
He further declares that he believes that a Government to be prosperous and happyfying in its tendency must originate with its people who are friendly to its existence. That its Citizens are its Guardians, its officers are its Servants, and its Glory their reward.– William B. Ide, Head Quarters Sonoma, June 15, 1846
[edit] Sources
- Bancroft, Hubert Howe The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, History of California vol 22 (1886). Also at History of California,VOL. V. 1846-1848
- Rice, Richard B. et al., The elusive Eden: A new history of California (2001) ch 7.
- Harlow, Neal California Conquered: The Annexation of a Mexican Province 1846-1850, ISBN 0-520-06605-7, (1982)
- Simeon Ide's A Sketch of the Life of William B. Ide. Retrieved on 2008-01-30.
[edit] See also
- Californian independence
- History of California
- Flag of California
- Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
- Mexican-American War
- The Legend of Zorro, a 2005 film which references and depicts the site of the Bear Flag Revolt, albeit in a fictionalized manner.
[edit] References
- ^ William B. Ide Adobe SHP
- ^ Commodore John Sloat
- ^ History
- ^ The California Bear Flag
- ^ http://www.militarymuseum.org/BearFlagRevolt.html Several versions were created of the Proclamation. Fred Blackburn Rogers William Brown Ide, Bear Flagger, Appendix A, IDE PROCLAMATIONS
[edit] External links
- The Bear Flag Revolt (U.S. National Parks Service)
- John Bidwell, "Frémont in the Conquest of California", The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, vol. XLI, no. 4, February, 1891
- Thomas Edwin Farish. 1915. History of Arizona. State of Arizona. Chapter VIII. Conquest of California by Fremont and Sloat.
- Web Spoof of Bear Flag Creation story
- The Bear Flag Museum
