Alta California The Lost History of a Bygone Province
Alta California A Rough Schedule Week One: Intro, Geography, Indians, Explorers Week Two: Spanish Colonization, Indian Resistance Week Three: The Spanish Era and its Challengers Week Four: The Mexican Era in Alta California Week Five: Alta California: A Contested Eden Week Six: War for Alta California Week Seven: Gold! Week Eight: The World Rushed In: The Gold Rush Era
Today s Class A Brief Review of Last Week Finding the Mexican-American War in California The Lost History of New Hibernia Demythologizing the Bear Flag Incident Sloat Takes Monterey; Montgomery Takes Yerba Buena Revolt in the Pueblo of Los Angeles The Conflict in the Southland
Review of Last Week Thomas O. Larkin
Review of Last Week William Leidesdorff
Review of Last Week A Case of Premature Annexation
Review of Last Week The Larkin-Vallejo Strategy
Review of Last Week
Visiting Alta California Portsmouth Square Yerba Buena (San Francisco)
Finding the Mexican War Lost Yerba Buena
Finding the Mexican War Monterey Custom House
Finding the Mexican- American War in California San Pasqual Valley
The British The Mysterious Father Eugene Macnamara
Josiah Royce, Hubert Howe Bancroft, on Macnamara
New Research
Papers of Larkin, Vallejo, Alvarado, Leidesdorff Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley
Sutter s New Switzerland Flag
Where Would New Hibernia Be Established?
Mexican-Era Land Grants
The San Joaquin Valley
Macnamara s Southern Border Juan Bandini s San Salvador
Yokuts of the San Joaquin
The Yokuts: One of the Highest Regional Population Densities in North America
James Alexander Forbes British Representative in California
The Assembly of California at the Pueblo of Los Angeles Encouraged by these factors, Macnamara visited Alta California in Spring 1846 At the capital in the Pueblo of Los Angeles, the Assembly approved Macnamara s grant on a July morning 13,500 square miles (the Governor made it 20,280 a week later) to settle 10,000 British subjects from Ireland (the Governor made it 15,000)
Abel Stearns in the Pueblo of Los Angeles Stearns was close to Bandini, as son-inlaw and business partner On 8 July he informed Larkin in Monterey, Mr Macnamara is here and leaves for Monterey. He has presented to the government for 2000 leagues [13,520 sq miles] in the interior and on the Rio San Joaquin The Assembly has recommended his plan of colonisation. He obligates himself to bring in 2000 families, 10,000 souls, which will be quite an addition to our population.
Governor Pico Land Grant for Macnamara
Larkin Reports to Washington on Macnamara Larkin reported to Buchanan on what he knew about Macnamara s scheme: He obtained from Governor Pio Pico, and the state legislature of California approval that Mexico should grant him 3000 square leagues of land on the San Joaquin River in California, he engaging to place there within a specified time 10,000 Irishmen.
Admiral George Seymour HMS Collingwood, 80, 1841
HMS Collingwood Larkin dined on the HMS Collingwood, with Macnamara Larkin reported to Buchanan that Macnamara had Informed me that the governor and legislature gave him a deed for the land dated July 4, 1846 and he applied to me for my opinion of his rights now our flag was over California. This act shows a new feature in English policy to obtain a title to California He left here in July on board the Collingwood, Admiral Sir George Seymour, for Oahu, Sandwich Islands.
The Californios, the Americans and the Events Behind the Bear Flag Revolt
John C. Fremont Agent of Manifest Destiny, 1844
Fremont s Intrigues, 1844-46
Jessie Benton Daughter of Sen. Thomas Hart Benton Served as Her Father s Assistant Eloped with Fremont when she was 16
Jessie s Ghost Writing
Fremont s Aborted War
Fremont s Peak, Near San Juan Bautista
Murphy s Rancho, Elk Grove This is the site of the beginning of the US conquest of California On June 10, American settlers led by Ezekial Merritt overpowered Californian soldiers under Lt. Francisco Arce Took their horses from the corral of Murphy Ranch The Bear Flag action in Sonoma followed on June 14, 1846
Thomas Larkin and the Horse Theft A distressed American consul notified Castro that the General s subordinate, Lieut. Francisco Arce, with eleven men under his command, while in transit from Sonoma to Santa Clara were intercepted by twelve men, mostly Americans, who took from him approximately 170 horses This being the case, Larkin wrote, the undersigned would with pleasure assist the authorities in the recovery of these animals, if any feasible method can be pointed out to him.
Sonoma Presidio
A photo of the original Bear Flag taken before it was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire
Mariano Vallejo On June 14, 1846, the so-called Bear Flaggers, comprised chiefly of American settlers from the Sacramento Valley, attacked Vallejo s unfortified headquarters at Sonoma Vallejo promptly surrendered and was taken to Sutter s Fort, where he was detained for six weeks Larkin understood that the imprisonment angered Californios and helped solidify their resistance to U.S. forces in California
Vallejo Taken Prisoner The national flag of North America flies in this part of the country. It protects the inhabitants and their property. It distributes equal justice and I hope we shall share a part of that equal justice by receiving our liberty. This is what I believed the moment I saw the American flag flying, that we should be set at liberty but nothing of this has happened.
Vallejo Held at Sutter s Fort On the contrary we remain just as we were without ever having given the least motive for suspicion of any kind. I swear it to you by the face of a man of honor. Vallejo treated appallingly by the Americans Caught malaria in his cell; his weight fell to 98 pounds Meanwhile, the Americans requisitioned or stole many of Vallejo s horses, cattle, and crops
Jacob P. Leese Taken
Larkin on the June 14 th Bear Flag; Writing on June 18, 1846 These men are I suppose mostly Americans. I perhaps know a few of them, but do not know that I do. Why this affair has happened, how or by whom I cannot imagine. Whether this transaction is a personal affair for plunder or satisfaction for past insults, or to change the whole California government I cannot say. Larkin characterized the Bear Flag incident as a badly acted affair and characterized Vallejo and the others as hostages
Leidesdorff Briefs Larkin About the Events of June 14 th in Sonoma Leidesdorff thought it very strange that the Bear Flaggers should take Jacob Leese prisoner, as he was known to be an American and a supporter of their cause I suppose that there is something going on that we know nothing of, Leidesdorff wrote to Larkin. We are in a critical situation.
The Killing of Cowie and Fowler
Cowie and Fowler
Battle of Olompali
Death in San Quentin Cove The Killing of José Berreyesa and Francisco and Ramon de Haro
Eyewitness to the Killing: Irishman Jasper O Farrell
U.S. Pacific Squadron in Monterey
Commodore John Drake Sloat
U.S. Pacific Squadron at Monterey, July 1, 1846
Commodore Sloat s Landing Monterey Custom House, July 7, 1846
Commodore Sloat Raises the American Flag Over the Monterey Custom House July 7, 1846
Commodore Sloat s Landing Monterey Custom House, July 7, 1846
Monterey Custom House
Capt. John B. Montgomery USS Portmouth (Portsmouth Square)
USS Portsmouth
William Leidesdorff
Montgomery s Portsmouth Landing (Future Site of Montgomery Street)
Montgomery s Landing
Portsmouth Square Yerba Buena (San Francisco) July 9, 1846
American Flag Replaces Bear Flag, Sonoma, July 9, 1846
American Flag Raised Over Sutter s Fort, July 9, 1846
Secretary of State James Buchanan Secretary of State James Buchanan formally notified Larkin of the state of war existing between United States and Mexico We go to war with Mexico solely for the purpose of conquering an honorable permanent peace, Buchanan pronounced. Whilst we intend to prosecute the war with vigor, both by land in by sea, we shall bear the olive branch in one hand, and the sword in the other; and whenever she will except the former, we shall sheath the latter.
Sloat s Proclamation (likely written by Larkin) I do not come among them as an enemy of California, but on the contrary, I come as their best friend, as henceforward California will be a portion of United States, and it s peaceable inhabitants will enjoy the same rights and privileges as the citizens of any other portion of that nation.
Fremont Debriefed by Sloat July 19, 1846
Robert Field Stockton
Stockton s Proclamation Three inoffensive American residents of the country have within a few days been murdered in the most brutal manner. Stockton claimed that Capt. Frémont and his surveying party had nothing but peaceful intentions have been treated with inhospitality. In referring to Castro, Stockton characterized him as a usurper who was being thrown out of the province with the overwhelming support of the inhabitants. He came into power by rebellion and force, then by force he must be expelled.
Larkin Races to Los Angeles