people and even of the authorities, while such dangers as they excited troubled the former none and the latter but little. The Americans who lived regular lives found little or no difficulty in procuring citizenship, wives, and land. To be sure there were certain formalities with which newcomers had to comply, but there seem to have been no cases of oppression recorded. "Tired of Mexico,-her Victorias, her Chicos, her Cholos and her tariff,-and eager for a rule of native sons, the American theory of government appealed to Californian leaders, padres no less than politicians!" 1 And by 1836 they were ready to put their theories into practical operation. An Attempt at Independence Until this time the part played by Americans in the political affairs in California had not been an especially active one. As we have seen, they had been participants in the struggle for the governorship between Zamorano and Echeandía in 1832, but this was done to protect their business interests at Monterey rather than to assist Zamorano. In 1836, however, we find them organizing for offensive purposes. It was in this year that the young Californians, led by Juan Bautista Alvarado, a leader of the "native sons," and assisted by a band of about thirty riflemen, the most efficient of whom were Americans, determined to do in California what had been done in Texas by Sam Houston and other Americans a few months earlier. The ruling governor, 1 Richman, California under Spain and Mexico, 299-300. riven from power, and on the 6th of Noia was declared independent of Mexico. ejo was made commandante-general of the just one month later Alvarado became disputasion, or State Congress, passed a he land into two cantons, that of Monterey Angeles. This was on December 9th. In was to be a jefe politico-at Monterey the I, and at Los Angeles some one to be apgovernor from a terna elected by the Angent and persistent revolution in the south Alvarado, however, to abandon his scheme ce. Castillero became his representative on the 9th of July, 1837, Alvarado attempted is enemies by declaring in favor of uniting t state. In the meantime, however, the ment appointed Carlos Carrillo governor. d to recognize the new appointee and again rces. Carrillo was defeated and taken prisle later, August the 13th, Alvarado received ad been recognized as governor by Mexico. ly part of this struggle, the Americans were oreigners, with interested motives and sound ored to prove that California had received glect and ill treatment from Mexico." It due to pressure brought to bear by Ameriérrez had been defeated that an attempt at endence was undertaken. There is evidence that the Americans had a "lone-star flag" 1 all ready which they wished to hoist, and that they were desirous of placing California under the protection of the United States. The latter scheme was never carried out, however, because David Spence and other foreigners deemed it wise to curb American ambition. Disgusted with the whole affair, the Americans withdrew from active participation in the revolution. During the next few years the Americans were comparatively quiet, but the mere fact that in 1840 the governor felt it necessary to arrest secretly forty Americans and send them to Mexico to be tried for a supposed uprising against the government, indicates that their influence had become paramount in the territory. Every attempt made to counteract it brought out the fact that it had become a permanent, growing element with which the officials would have to deal more leniently and more considerately as the years passed. The next incident that brought any great number of Americans into active participation in California affairs occurred a few years later. When Manuel Micheltorena succeeded Alvarado as governor in 1842, he brought with him from Mexico a company of soldiers composed of exconvicts. They were habitual thieves, and the ever increasing loss sustained by the people of the territory became so unendurable at the last that a revolt developed under the leadership of Alvarado. Sutter and Graham, for personal 1 Mofras, Exploration de l'Oregon, des Californies, etc., I, 300. 2 The Graham affair. See Bancroft History of California IV ch T reasons, collect joined Michelt mand of Willi the latter lea sides withdrew appearance a sinty armed Cited State Larkin, the - a company of one hundred riflemen and ena. In fact the governor was compelled nce almost entirely on the foreigners. The in the region north of Los Angeles. With vere also a few Americans under the comWorkman and Benjamin Wilson. When ed that their opponents were also their y communicated with them and a mutual reached whereby the Americans on both from the contest. Shorn of his principal torena promptly capitulated. February, 1845. A few months later, in can government instructed the governor introduction of families from the Missouri ivers, as otherwise the general order of the ld be subverted, foreign relations complirrassment created." An attempt was made rder. The task was not made easier by the ttle later of John C. Frémont with about lowers. He made his camp at Hartwell's Salinas valley, and on March 5, 1846, was efect Manuel Castro to retire beyond the partment. This Frémont not only refused ied himself on Gavilán peak and raised the lag. After having been menaced by Castro red men and warned against treachery by nited States consul at Monterey, Frémont y toward Oregon. In the meantime Sub CHorroro cent word to Larkin that the former would notify the authorities in each town to inform Americans who had bought land-a right of naturalized foreigners only-that the transactions were invalid and that they themselves were subject to expulsion at any time. It is not surprising that these things created considerable excitement, especially among American settlers. Reports were circulated and generally believed that Mexican officials were preparing to drive all foreigners from the country. In April, 1846, Larkin wrote "of rumors that Castro was collecting people to force settlers from the Sacramento!" 1 The Bear Flag with twenty foll made his appe The general unrest was not relieved by the sudden reappearance of Frémont from the north. He had been overtaken on the borders of Oregon by a naval officer, Gillespie, with "dispatches" from Washington. Washington. Upon his sudden arrival naturally the settlers believed he had been ordered to return by the United States government. Very soon after Frémont had established his camp at the junction of Bear and Feather rivers, about a dozen of his men, under the command of Ezekiel Merritt, seized one hundred and seventy horses that were being sent south to General José Castro by Vallejo and which rumor declared were to be used to free the land of foreigners and to establish a fort on Bear river. On the same day, June 11th, "it was decided to capture Sonoma, where, under Vallejo, nine small cannon and two hundred muskets constituted a kind of presidio." Merritt, 1 Richman, California under Spain and Mexico, 306-09. the 14th of J as drafted an ments, the Am sent to Frémor Sonoma affair, the latter acc for the confiner At Sonoma, assumed comm establishing A fag was con hand corner, & fornia Republi it to be his ain d and religi ety; detect true, indust factures, and The appear rth of July, 1 a California The Bear Fla Estories of the supplemented by d his Californ |