The Mexican War
The Bear Flag Republic

American citizens were for a long time an active presence in California, beginning with men engaged in the sea otter trade in the early 19th century. As that activity declined, other Americans developed ranching operations in the Sacramento River valley, in response to the immense Eastern demand for tallow and hides.

On June 14, 1846, Americans tired of Mexican rule seized the administrative capital at Sonoma before word arrived about the outbreak of hostilities between Mexico and the United States. The short-lived Bear Flag Republic was born. A hastily stitched flag, whose star and a grizzly bear's likeness some thought looked more porcine than ursine, was raised on the public square in Sonoma.

Pivotal in these events was John C. Frémont. He was assigned to the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, which was charting new trails in the West. Frémont and his cohorts were ordered out of California by Mexican authorities; he established a camp in the Oregon Territory. In June 1846, he returned and reached the Sonoma area, where he played an unofficial, but significant role in the Bear Flag revolt. Frémont later served as the military commander of the pro-American community. Whether his actions were motivated by secret orders from Washington or by pure ambition remains unclear.

The Bear Flag Republic was quickly eclipsed by the arrival of the U.S. Navy under the command of John D. Sloat in July.

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