California Republic
327441
224539663
2008-07-09T09:06:45Z
DevinCook
1116156
[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 224483660 by [[Special:Contributions/87.217.137.130|87.217.137.130]] ([[User talk:87.217.137.130|talk]])
{{nofootnotes}}
{{Infobox Former Country
|native_name =
|conventional_long_name = California Republic
|common_name = California
|ag
|continent = North America
|region =
|country = United States
|era =
|status =
|status_text=
|empire =
|government_type = Republic
|
|event_start = [[Independence]] from [[Mexico]]
|year_start = 1846
|date_start = June 14
|event_end = [[Annexation]] by the [[United States of America]]
|year_end = 1846
|date_end = July 9
|
|event1 =
|date_event1 =
|event2 =
|date_event2 =
|event3 =
|date_event3 =
|
|p1 = Mexico
|flag_p1 = Flag_of_Mexico_(1823-1864,_1867-1968).png
|s1 = California
|flag_s1 = Flag of California.svg
|
|flag =
|flag_type = The Bear Flag
|image_flag = 1stBearFlag.svg
|symbol =
|symbol_type =
|image_coat =
|image_map =
|image_map_caption =
|capital = Sonoma, California
|national_motto =
|national_anthem =
|common_languages = [[English language|English]] and [[Spanish Language|Spanish]] ([[de facto]])
|religion =
|currency =
|
|<!--- Titles and names of the first and last leaders and their deputies --->
|leader1 = [[William B. Ide]]
|year_leader1 =
|title_leader = President
|deputy1 =
|year_deputy1 =
|title_deputy =
|legislature =
|<!--- Area and population of a given year --->
|stat_year1 =
|stat_area1 =
|stat_pop1 =
|stat_year2 =
|stat_pop2 =
|political_subdiv=
}}
The '''California Republic''' (República de California in Spanish), also called the '''Bear Flag Republic''', was the result of a revolt by Americans on [[June 14]] [[1846]], in the town of [[Sonoma, California|Sonoma]] against the authorities of the [[History of California to 1899|Mexican province of California]]; the Republic lasted less than a month. The republic eventually became the present-day state of [[California]].
==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 "[[flag of California|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."
[[Image:Sutters_Fort_1846.png|250px|thumb|left|John Sutter joined the rebellion by opening the doors of Sutter's Fort]]
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]]<ref>[http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=458 ''William B. Ide Adobe SHP'']</ref>, 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, [[Mexican–American War|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]] ([[USS Savannah (1842)|''Savannah'']]) and two [[Sloop-of-war|sloops]] ([[USS Cyane (1837)|''Cyane'']] and [[USS Levant (1837)|''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]]<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/biographies/john_sloat.html ''Commodore John Sloat'']</ref> <ref>[http://pom-ima.monterey.army.mil/sites/about/history.asp ''History'']</ref> 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 [[Flag of the United States|Stars and Stripes]]. Ide was demoted from president to private in the "California Battalion" controlled by Frémont.
==Bear Flag==
[[Image:firstbearflag.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The original Bear Flag, photographed in 1890.]]
[[Image:1stBearFlag.svg|thumb|250px|Digital reproduction based on the original 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 first cousin<ref>[http://www.bearflagmuseum.org/JHusseyArticle.html Bear Flag Museum] retreived 13/6/2008</ref> of [[Mary Todd Lincoln]]<ref>[http://members.aol.com/beaufait/biography/geneology.htm Mary Todd Geneology] retreived 13/6/2008</ref>, 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.<ref>[http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist6/toddflag.html ''The California Bear Flag'']</ref>
The bear was described as being ''en passant'' (walking),<ref>[http://www.calarchives4u.com/history/sonoma/1880-90.htm] Sonoma Co history site</ref> 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 Empire|Russian]] incursions into the region.
==Proclamation of the Bear Flag Revolt==
[[William Ide|William B. Ide]] wrote the first proclamation of independence on the night of June 14-15, 1846, and released it on the fifteenth:<ref>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 </ref>
{{Quotation
|To all persons, citizens of Sonoma, requesting them to remain at peace, and to follow their rightful occupations without fear of molestation.
<br/><br/>
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.
<br/><br/>
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.
<br/><br/>
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.
<br/><br/>
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.
<br/><br/>
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
}}
==Sources==
* Bancroft, Hubert Howe [http://www.1st-hand-history.org/Hhb/22/album1.html ''The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft,''] ''History of California'' vol 22 (1886). Also at [http://www.bearflagmuseum.org/BancroftIntroTOC.html''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)
*{{cite web | title=Simeon Ide's ''A Sketch of the Life of William B. Ide'' | url=http://www.bearflagmuseum.org/Simeon%20Ide%20Life%20of%20William%20B%20Ide%20Table%20of%20Contents.html| accessdate=2008-01-30}}
==See also==
* [[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.
==References==
<div class="references-small"><references /></div>
==External links==
* [http://www.nps.gov/prsf/coast_defense/spanish/spike/bearflag.htm The Bear Flag Revolt] ([[National Park Service|U.S. National Parks Service]])
* [[John Bidwell]], "[http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist6/fremont.html Frémont in the Conquest of California]", ''The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine'', vol. XLI, no. 4, February, 1891
* [http://southwest.library.arizona.edu/hav1/body.1_div.8.html Thomas Edwin Farish. 1915. ''History of Arizona.'' State of Arizona.] Chapter VIII. Conquest of California by Fremont and Sloat.
* [http://www.snopes.com/lost/bearflag.asp Web Spoof of Bear Flag Creation story]
* [http://www.bearflagmuseum.org/ The Bear Flag Museum]
[[Category:1846 in Mexico]]
[[Category:Former political entities in North America]]
[[Category:Former regions and territories of the United States]]
[[Category:History of California]]
[[Category:History of Sonoma County, California]]
[[Category:Mexican-American War]]
[[Category:Short-lived states|California Republic]]
[[Category:1846 establishments]]
[[Category:1846 disestablishments]]
[[Category:Symbols of California]]
[[es:República de California]]
[[fr:République de Californie]]
[[ko:캘리포니아 공화국]]
[[lij:Repubbrica da California]]
[[nl:Republiek Californië]]
[[ja:カリフォルニア共和国]]
[[no:Californiarepublikken]]
[[pl:Republika Kalifornii]]
[[pt:República da Califórnia]]
[[tl:Republika ng California]]
[[zh:加利福尼亚共和国]]