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After Mexican independence from Spain and the establishment of the First Mexican Republic, the Catholic missions, which controlled a vast amount of land in Alta California, were officially secularized and became the direct property of the Mexican government. The governors of Alta California would eventually grant these lands to wealthy farm owners, known as {{w|rancheros}}. These ''rancheros'' would dominate Alta California politics until the arrival of American settlers. | After Mexican independence from Spain and the establishment of the First Mexican Republic, the Catholic missions, which controlled a vast amount of land in Alta California, were officially secularized and became the direct property of the Mexican government. The governors of Alta California would eventually grant these lands to wealthy farm owners, known as {{w|rancheros}}. These ''rancheros'' would dominate Alta California politics until the arrival of American settlers. | ||
[[File:GreatMigration.jpg|left|thumb|300px|American refugees travelling towards Alta California and Texas (1839).]] | |||
In the early 1830s, thousands of American settlers, (from both [[Columbia|Northern]] and [[Dixie|Southern]] America), would begin to migrate into Mexican territory, seeking new economic opportunities and rumored riches. Although economically unimportant in the beginning, many American settlers traveled to Alta California after reports began circulating about large gold and silver mines located near the center of the territory. | |||
On June 4th, 1837, a large military force, led by General [[Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna]], entered {{w|Mexico City}} and overthrow the democratic government of Jose Marti and became President of the new Centralist Republic of Mexico. Santa Anna, who was a staunch Mexican nationalist and Anti-Americanist, began using his new powers to oppress the growing American minority. | |||
In 1841, The Mexican Government | In 1838, a year after Santa Anna's coup, many militia groups began to form in Alta California in response to his rule. The Bear Flaggers, named after the {{w|Flag of California|Bear Flag}}, were militias that supported California independence and were against the "mexicanization" of American settlers. The ''Leales'', or in English "Loyalists", were militias that supported the preservation of Mexican culture in California and were against independence. These two groups would constantly clash with one other up to the Pacífican War for Independence. | ||
In 1841, The Central Mexican Government (in the now-infamous [[Mexico City Proclamation]]) receded the rights of the American settlers and their families, which were previously protected by the Mexican National Assembly, and began heavily taxing Americans and their businesses. In August of 1841, representatives from multiple American-dominated cities in Alta California met in San Francisco to discuss a reaction to the increasingly oppressive rule of Santa Ana, forming the [[California Territorial Assembly]]. Although independence was brought up, many representatives at the time wanted more representation in the Mexican Government rather than separation. | |||
In September of 1841, the small Texan town of [[New Hope, Texas|New Hope]], after refusing to enforce the new taxes, was [[Massacre of New Hope|completely massacred]] by Santa Ana and his army. In response, the Texas Provisional Government declared independence from Mexico, starting the [[Texan War of Independence]]. Enraged by Mexico's actions, the California Territorial Assembly convened on September 30th and, with the backing of most of the Bear Flagger militias, declared California a sovereign state, starting the [[Pacífican War of Independence]]. | |||
===War for Independence=== | ===War for Independence=== | ||
{{Main|Pacífican War of Independence}} | |||
On October 2nd, 1841, a large militia group, led by former Columbian officer [[Carson J. King]], stormed the Governor's Palace in {{w|Monterey, California|Monterey}}, capturing the Governor of Alta California, [[Carlos Garcia]] and forcing him to resign. In response to his bold victory and King's military background, the California Territorial Assembly, who had united the numerous Bear Flagger militias, appointed him as Grand Marshal of the newly created California National Army. | |||
On October 12th, Santa Anna, who was busy fighting in Texas, appointed his second-in-command Colonel [[Juan Carlos-Gonzales]] as the Military Governor of Alta California and tasked him with ending the Bear Flagger rebellion. The next week, Carlos-Gonzales led his army and multiple ''Leales'' militias into California and was able to establish a base of operations outside of {{w|San Diego}}. After the war, Carlos-Gonzales's base would become the town of Carlosa. | |||
On November 3rd, Carlos-Gonzales and his forces began sieging {{w|San Diego}}, eventually taking the city later that month. On December 5th, the Californian National Army, personally led by Grand Marshal King, attempted to retake the city and kill or captured Carlos-Gonzales. Despite being outnumbered, Carlos-Gonzales and his army were able to defeat King and the Californians, in what some historians call a "major and large avoidable defeat". Humiliated and disgraced, King resigned as Grand Marshal and self-exiled himself to northern California. | |||
After multiple military defeats at the hand of Carlos-Gonzales, On February 3rd, 1842, the California National Army won its first major victory against the Mexicans at the [[Battle of Sierra]]. The loss forced Carlos-Gonzales to temporarily halt his advance to Monterey and gave time to Californian Territorial Assemblymen and other important leaders of the rebellion to escape Monterey and relocate to San Francisco. After his army was replenished by Mexican loyalists, Carlos-Gonzales continued his march to Monterey in March, taking the abandoned city later that month. | |||
On March 25th, 1842, Captain [[Dayton I of Pacífica|Dayton Braver]] was appointed Grand Marshal of the last remnants of the Californian National Army in San Francisco and was tasked to defend the city from the upcoming Mexican attack. Five days later, on March 30th, Carlos-Gonzales arrived at San Francisco and began [[Siege of San Francisco|sieging the city]]. After days of artillery bombing, Branver, using clever deception tactics, was able to convince the Mexicans that his army had retreated from the city. The Mexicans, after entering the seemingly abandoned city, were ambushed by Californian soldiers who had hid in the dilapidated buildings and ruins, forcing Carlos-Gonzales to retreat. The siege ending in a surprise Californian victory and turned the tide of the war in California's favor. | |||
As Carlos-Gonzales retreated back to his secondary army in Los Angeles, he and his army were constantly ambushed by militiamen and regular Californians, who were all inspired by Branver and his victory. After arriving in Los Angeles on April 6th, Carlos-Gonzales began to [[Carlos-Gonzales Offensive|plan for a possible offensive]] back into Californian control territory. However, these plans were scrapped as reports came in that Santa Anna was defeated and captured by the Texans and that a large Texan army was marching to assist the Californians. Although Santa Anna was captured, there was no Texan army marching to assist the Californian National Army. Panicked, Carlos-Gonzales began fortifying Los Angeles for an eventual attack. On April 15th, the Californian National Army and Los Angeles Bear Flaggers, led by Branver, began [[Battle of Los Angeles|sieging the city]] and eventually took it on April 17th, killing Carlos-Gonzales in the process. | |||
On May 5th, after defeating the last of the Mexicans in California and Texas, representatives from both governments met with Santa Ana and forced him to sign the [[Treaty of the Rio Grande]], which officially recognized the independence of Texas and California from Mexico. The Treaty also granted California and Texas lands that were not apart of their original territory. | |||
===Birth of Pacífica=== | ===Birth of Pacífica=== | ||
On May 16th of 1842, a constitutional convention was called and the next day, representatives from the Territorial Assembly, military officials, and new representatves from newly acquired territories, convened at {{w|San Diego}} to agree on a national constitution for the new country. The representatives were mainly divided into two groups: The Republicans, which were made up of mainly [[Dixe|Southern Americans]], supported continuing the California Republic, while the Royalists, which were mainly made up of [[Columbia|Northern Americans]], supported creating a monarchy and abolishing the Republic. | |||
===Mid 19th Century=== | ===Mid 19th Century=== | ||
====Second American War==== | ====Second American War==== | ||