Atlas of Hispanic-American History

California, and the navy attacked

California and blockaded both Mexican

coasts. President Polk hoped these strate-

gies alone would convince Mexico to make

peace, ending the war swiftly. He had not

counted on the stiffness of Mexican resist-

ance, which would keep Mexico in arms

for more than two years, not making peace

until their capital was taken.

New Mexico

and California

In June 1846, while Zachary Taylor bat-

tled in northern Mexico, the campaign to

capture New Mexico and California

began. On June 27, Brigadier General

Stephen Watts Kearny (1794–1848), com-

mander of the Army of the West, left

Fort Leavenworth in what is now Kansas

with about 1,500 troops. After marching

more than 1,000 miles along the Santa Fe

Trail, Kearney’s forces captured Santa Fe,

New Mexico, without a fight on August

16. The Neuvomexicanos varied in their
    responses to the takeover. They had no
    great love for the Mexican government
    but were wary of Americans. The attitude
    of New Mexican official Juan Bautista
    Vigil seemed a typical one: “No matter
    what her condition, [Mexico] was our
    mother. What child will not shed abun-
    dant tears at the tomb of his parents?”
    By the time New Mexico was cap-
    tured, California had fallen to the United
    States as well. Captain John C. Frémont
    (1813–1890), who had been in the region
    on an exploratory expedition since the
    previous year, gave his support to a set-
    tlers’ revolt at Sonoma, north of San
    Francisco. At dawn on June 14, the rebels
    rousted General Mariano Vallejo from his
    bed, placed him under arrest, and forced
    him to surrender. Since they were not yet
    certain that the United States was at war
    with Mexico, the rebels could not claim
    the territory in the name of the United
    States. Instead, they proclaimed
    California’s independence, raising a flag
    decorated with a grizzly bear. The event
    was called the Bear Flag Revolt, even
    though the Bear Flag Republic’s flag was
    taken down and replaced with an
    American flag once confirmation of the
    state of war came.
    Soon after the Bear Flag Revolt,
    Commodore John D. Sloat closed in
    from the sea, capturing Monterey on July
    7 and San Francisco three days later. In
    August, Commodore Robert F. Stockton,
    who had replaced the ailing Sloat, cap-
    tured Los Angeles, Southern California’s
    strongest garrison, without opposition.
    Stockton proclaimed himself governor
    of the territory, but the Californios only
    appeared to submit to him. In September
    Californios, led by Captain José María
    Flores, rebelled and took back Los
    Angeles. In the following months, the
    Californios took possession of most of the
    towns in the interior. The tide of battle
    turned when Kearny, who had been
    advancing west from Santa Fe, arrived in
    December and fought through enemy
    lines until he could join Stockton’s forces.
    With Kearny’s help, Stockton recaptured
    Los Angeles on January 10, 1847. At
    about the same time, the people of New

92 ATLAS OF HISPANIC-AMERICAN HISTORY

A U.S. Navy warship off the coast of California, 1849(Library of Congress)

Captain John C. Frémont helps seize California from Mexico. (Library of Congress)

“Already, the advance guard

of the irresistible army of the

Anglo-Saxon emigration has

begun to pour down upon

[California], armed with the

plough and the rifle, and

marking its trail with schools

and colleges, courts and rep-

resentative halls, mills and

meetinghouses. A population

will soon be in actual occupa-

tion of California, over which

it will be idle for Mexico to

dream of dominion.”

—John O’Sullivan,
“Manifest Destiny” (1845)