by Jack Lee
Today Mexico’s claim on California says, they conquered this land, they mapped it, they installed civilization and then it was stolen by force by the United States.
This old claim has found new life thanks to groups like LaRaza and Mecha and their influence on California’s college campuses, in state government and in the Southwestern states.
It’s become a rallying cry for justice and we’re told we need to understand their feelings on this! We are told we should be sympathetic and understanding, afterall we stole their land. And when they engage in protests, waving the Mexican flag and shouting jeers and insults about America, we should be compassionate and not react with anger, because to react unkindly would be a sign of biggotry and total lack of understanding!
In reality this is just a big smoke screen, a tool used to justify open borders and unchecked illegal immigration. It’s also part of an economic conquest. The original claim of injustice that they use today is rather weak when examined in the cold light of history.
The first of many big flaws in their argument is, Mexico never really controlled California. It was at best as pseudo control and it barely lasted for 24 short years. That’s not a lot of history when compared to the fact California has been controlled and developed by US citizens for well over 166 years. Was it right for the US to declare war on Mexico and seize lands? It’s debatable, but not completely unjustified. Next, was it right and just that Californians wanted to become US citizens and not live under Mexico’s rule? First thing we have to remember is, this was their decision! It was not the US governments decision – it was a demand made by the people who lived here, including Mexican citizens!
The farmers, trappers, settlers and pioneers revolted against Mexico’s authority. They took a brave stand and they won. They seized control and then they demanded to be annexed to the US. Mexico was in no position to argue, afterall they couldn’t even supress the rebellion, so what does that say about their control over California?
What followed in hisotry says those early residents were visionaries and they were absolutely right: You need only look at the progress on any level between the land South of the Mexico-US border and what Californians have achieved on their own and as part of the United States. That pretty much says it all.
Between 1822 through 1846 California was lightly populated and most of the state was in still in control of indigenous Indian tribes. The Mexican governor stayed mostly in Southern California and allowed the rest of the state citizens to govern themselves through a system of large ranchos.
At one point Mexico sent prisoners, pardoned to California, in the hopes they would develop the land. But, protests from the locals soon stopped this ill considered practice. However, American citizens moving west were only too happy to take on the challenges of living in an untamed land. They came by wagon trains and suffered many hardships as they developed farm lands and cattle ranches.
On June 14, 1846, Americans tired of the weak and corrupt 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.
“Pivotal in these events was John C. Frmont. He was assigned to the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, which was charting new trails in the West. Frmont and his cohorts were ordered out of California by Mexican authorities so 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. Frmont 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.” (http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1043.html)
The revolt was a popular uprising and was largely supported by American settlers and their local Mexican allies who desired annexation to the US.