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Ella M. Sexton - Stories of California
Americans, as they called all the people from the Eastern states, to take up their farming lands and hunt
and trap the wild animals. So there was much quarrelling. But the Americans still poured in, got land
grants, and built houses.
In 1836, though Alta California declared itself a free state, and no longer looked to Mexico for support,
Mexican rule still continued. The United States had wanted California for a long time, and had tried to
buy it from Mexico. The fine bay and harbor of San Francisco, known to be the best along the coast, was
especially needed by the United States as a place to shelter or repair ships on their way to the Oregon
settlements. England also wanted this bay, but the Californians tried to keep every one out of their
country.
Among the Americans who came overland and across the Rocky Mountains about this time was John C.
Fremont, a surveyor and engineer, who was called the "Pathfinder." On his third trip to the Pacific Coast
in '46 he wished to spend the winter near Monterey, with his sixty hunters and mountaineers. Castro, the
Mexican general, ordered him to leave the country at once, but Fremont answered by raising the
American flag over his camp. As Castro had more men, Fremont did not think it wise to fight, but
marched away, intending to go north to Oregon. He turned back in the Klamath country on account of
snow and Indians, as he said, and camped where the Feather River joins the Sacramento. It is almost
certain that Fremont wished to provoke Castro and the Californians into war, and so to capture the
country for the United States.
A party of Fremont's men rode down to Sonoma, where there was a Mission, and also a presidio with a
few cannon in charge of General Vallejo. These men captured the place and sent Vallejo and three other
prisoners back to Fremont's camp. Then the independent Americans concluded to have a new republic of
their own, and a flag also. So they made the famous "Bear-flag" of white cloth, with a strip of red flannel
sewed on the lower edge, and on the white they painted in red a large star and a grizzly bear, and also the
words "California Republic." They then raised the flag over the Bear-flag Republic. Many Americans
joined their party, but when the American flag went up at Monterey, the stars and stripes replaced the
bear-flag.
At this time the United States and Mexico were at war on account of Texas, and Commodore Sloat was
in charge of the warships on the Pacific Coast. The commodore had been told to take Alta California, if
possible; so, sailing to Monterey, he raised the stars and stripes there in July, 1846, and ended Mexican
power forever. The American flag flew at the San Francisco Presidio two days later, and also at Sonoma,
Sutter's Fort, or wherever there were Americans. The flag was greeted with cheers and delight. Then
Commodore Sloat turned the naval force over to Stockton and returned home, leaving all quiet north of
Santa Barbara.
Commodore Stockton sent Fremont and his men to San Diego and, taking four hundred soldiers, went
himself to Los Angeles, where the native Californians and Mexicans were determined to fight against the
rule of the United States. General Castro and his men and Governor Pico, the last of the Mexican
governors, were driven out of the country. Stockton then declared that Upper and Lower California were
to be known as the "Territory of California."
In less than a month, however, the Californians in the south gathered their forces again and took Los
Angeles. General Kearny was sent out with what was called the "army of the west," to assist Fremont and
Stockton in settling the trouble. Peace was declared after several battles, and Kearny acted as governor of
the new territory, displacing Fremont. At last, by the treaty which closed the Mexican war in 1848 Alta
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