Hello everyone this is my 2nd attempt at a timeline I've wanted to share to this wonderful forum, taking the nation of California from it's creation into the 20th century. However in my first attempt I wasn't happy with the direction I was taking it nor was I happy with the style I chose to deliver it in. This is why I have taken the decision to start from the beginning and try to give a more in depth and in a way I feel comfortable about delivering. As always and comments and fair critique is welcomed and encouraged. I have tried to make as plausible as I possibly can however I do feel it may fall slightly short on that for the POD but again I have tried to restrain things from getting out of hand.
Now.. on with the show!
The Gold Rush
In 1836 along the banks of the upper American River in the mountain ranges of the Sierra Nevada Jake M. Brown made a discovery that would birth a nation [1]. He found a shiny metallic object poking out of the bank as he looked for game. It was no bigger than the palm of a small infant. It was covered in river mud but he still knew what he had found, he was holding a small piece of gold. This discovery changed the course of the Mexican Territory of Alta California, soon Immigrants from the United States and Europe travelled thousands of miles to get involved in the Gold Rush. This would have been inheritably good for Mexico itself as the gold would have solved a lot of the nation’s problems, allowing them to pay their soldiers and invest into the country itself. However its attraction swamped Alta California with thousands of immigrants, all seeking land or illegally taking it when local governmental officials refused to give it to them. Around 90 000 [2] men, women and children would make the trip between 1836 and late 1839. Many of them leased land from the Mexican governor of Alta California, Juan Bautista Alvarado to build settlements for the followers of the Gold Rush. Immigrant trading posts and forts sprung up such as Harris’ Fort [3] or Golden Creek becoming hubs of activity. Towns along the Alta Californian coastline too became hosts to the European and American immigration. San Francisco’s population doubled in the first year and then tripled over the next two from under 500 to around 4000 by late 1839. It wasn’t long before the Governor Alvarado’s stance on the immigration to change. Alvarado had cemented his power in Alta California even to the point where he had given fought for the region’s more autonomous stance within Mexico itself after removed Gutiérrez from the governorship in the November of 1836 [4]. Although he was helped in removing Gutiérrez by an allied group of American immigrants he still felt that the immigration was getting too much and was ruining the Mexican culture as well as the lack of personal reward from the gold being taken in the Sierra Nevada range. In early 1840 he issued restrictions on the amount of immigrants allowed into Alta California. This was followed by further attempts to stop the “Illegal” Seizure of Mexican land by the Gold Rushers. He stopped accepting foreign ships carrying people from coming into the coastal towns of Alta California. This reaction by the Governor only antagonised the situation, the immigrants becoming increasingly upset over the control that Alvarado tried to create. The point that pushed the immigrants over the edge was the active presence of the Mexican Soldiers that Alvarado had available who were instructed to take the gold from immigrants.
The War of Californian Independence
The rebellion started of dis-unified. Groups of the settlers blocked the trails leading into the Sierra Nevada range; they tried to stop soldiers from getting to the settlements where the immigrants lived. Without any real roads it proved fairly effective. The story was different in the towns of the coast. Once Alvarado heard of the issues in the east he started to arrest the richer Immigrants in the coastal settlements mainly in the immigrant heavy towns such as San Francisco. The arrestees included that of Isaac Graham who had helped Alvarado gain power. It wasn’t until June 6th 1840 when 6 of the protesting settlers were killed by the members of the Mexican army outside of Harris’ Fort. This pushed certain members of settlers to change from protesting, requesting the Governor the lift the aggressive acts on the immigrants to one of Change. This also was the source of the creation of the Californian Affairs Committee. George Marshall was elected speaker of the group, he was a middle aged immigrant from the American Frontier who had moved to Harris’ Fort seeking riches in California. He pushed the view that became quite popular amongst the settlers that they should seek their own independence.
He gathered men and ventured down the Sacramento River towards the bay area. The news from his announcement had reached San Francisco before he had gotten close. Support for Marshall grew quickly in the city. They eventually pushed out the Mexican soldiers from San Francisco who fled to the Sonoma Fort. By the time that Marshall had reached the town in early August 1840 he met up with the San Francisco Californian Affairs leader Nathan C. Sutter the town was firmly in control of the rebellion. They pushed together they pushed towards the Sonoma Fort. It was obviously unfinished by the time they arrived and General Vallejo who had been in command was already ready to surrender it to the oncoming rebels. They released the prisoners that they held such as Isaac Graham. The capture of the barracks didn’t give Marshall and his militia much in the way of supplies and weapons as the building had just been finished with the Mexican munitions focused elsewhere in the region. It did come with one advantage, that of Vallejo. He had been previously creating a network of alliances with the local Native Americans[5]. Through Marshall’s discussions with Vallejo and the local Native American chiefs, whom Vallejo had gained a good standing relationship with, explaining to him the real reason for establishing the revolt persuaded Vallejo sympathy towards Marshall’s cause. This in turn gave Marshall the tentative support of both Vallejo and his Native American allies. Historians would continue to discuss the significance of Vallejo’s discussion to join the rebellion and whether or not his heart was fully in it or that it was just a situation which was more preferable to Vallejo.
The support of Vallejo would be seen as a turning point in the rebellion. The Settlers now had access to a strategically important area as well as allies to assist them. Marshall sent his men south to capture Monterey quickly before a counter offensive could be launched by the remaining Mexican troops under Alvarado’s command. By Mid-September they arrived at the settlement but they found that Alvarado had retreated south towards Los Angles. Monterey would become home to Marshall and his militia [6], using it as a forward base along the western coast in the rebellion. He would gain news from various other areas in the Sierra Nevada range of settlers announcing their support of his cause. Monterey would also host the first drafts of the Californian Constitution which wouldn’t be finalised until after the war although it would lay the foundations to what the republic would be founded on.
Alvarado would find himself without assistance. The Mexican Government had requested that a change of Governorship was in order and sent up around 500 men. Once they had arrived they came with the push for Alvarado to step down and Pío Pico to replace him. This change in Governor of Alta California wouldn’t help the Mexican government to hold onto the region as Pico personally sympathised with the reasons behind the rebellion itself [7]. Once he got word that General Vallejo was also supporting the rebellion, although in really just giving it personal support rather than taking part, Pico’s mind was made up. It could be argued that it was Pico’s businessman mentality that led him to conduct in his sort lived Governorship in such a way that allowed for rebels to eventually succeed. He felt that it was in the interests of the thousands of people living within the region as well as seeing that the Gold that was mined would not go to the people of the region but would go into the pockets of the Elites in Mexico City to run their own private armies and wage war with each other.
The Republic
It would take another seven months before peace and Californian independence was signed by both parties on July 21st 1841. Between Marshall and the support given to him by the Governor Pico pushed the Mexican Government to concede defeat to the rebellion. They didn’t have the manpower or the resources to take complete control of Alta California. They had been dealing with strikes by the Mexican army over pay which only added to the situation as well as fearing that the prolonging of hostilities in the region would only allow the United States to intervene especially over the large amount of settlers of American origin in the area. On top of the Alta California Rebellion they had other regions in Mexico attempting to become independent which the Government felt was more important that the northern territory. The Mexican Government had tried on last time to regain control by once again changing the Governorship of Alta California to Micheltorena but Pico who was in control of the southern region of Alta California refused Micheltorena’s entrance. This was both a huge victory for the Californians and another massive blow to the prestige of Mexico who had also lost Texas in 1836.
McAvoy's Flag of Caliornia.
The Flag of California [8] rose above the towns across the newly independent nation. It was now a time for Marshall to create a working Government and not allow their victory to go to waste. Along with the main settler members of the rebellion he invited Vallejo and Pico to join in the making of the first Californian Government. He hoped they would help to bring the perspectives of the Native and Spanish speakers of the region as it was the end it was the combination of the Natives, English and Spanish speaking folk who allowed for California to gain its independence. California had control from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, from the disputed Oregon territory to the Gila River. They had the control over a massive amount of land, with a vast amount of untouched resources. They had a chance to reinvent themselves and become something new. In the words of George Marshall outside the house in the town of Monterey on July 21st 1841…
“We are no longer English, American, German or Mexican. We are from now and till the end of days: Californian.”
Now.. on with the show!
La República de Oro: A History of the Californian Republic
Introduction: Gold and Blood
Introduction: Gold and Blood
The Gold Rush
In 1836 along the banks of the upper American River in the mountain ranges of the Sierra Nevada Jake M. Brown made a discovery that would birth a nation [1]. He found a shiny metallic object poking out of the bank as he looked for game. It was no bigger than the palm of a small infant. It was covered in river mud but he still knew what he had found, he was holding a small piece of gold. This discovery changed the course of the Mexican Territory of Alta California, soon Immigrants from the United States and Europe travelled thousands of miles to get involved in the Gold Rush. This would have been inheritably good for Mexico itself as the gold would have solved a lot of the nation’s problems, allowing them to pay their soldiers and invest into the country itself. However its attraction swamped Alta California with thousands of immigrants, all seeking land or illegally taking it when local governmental officials refused to give it to them. Around 90 000 [2] men, women and children would make the trip between 1836 and late 1839. Many of them leased land from the Mexican governor of Alta California, Juan Bautista Alvarado to build settlements for the followers of the Gold Rush. Immigrant trading posts and forts sprung up such as Harris’ Fort [3] or Golden Creek becoming hubs of activity. Towns along the Alta Californian coastline too became hosts to the European and American immigration. San Francisco’s population doubled in the first year and then tripled over the next two from under 500 to around 4000 by late 1839. It wasn’t long before the Governor Alvarado’s stance on the immigration to change. Alvarado had cemented his power in Alta California even to the point where he had given fought for the region’s more autonomous stance within Mexico itself after removed Gutiérrez from the governorship in the November of 1836 [4]. Although he was helped in removing Gutiérrez by an allied group of American immigrants he still felt that the immigration was getting too much and was ruining the Mexican culture as well as the lack of personal reward from the gold being taken in the Sierra Nevada range. In early 1840 he issued restrictions on the amount of immigrants allowed into Alta California. This was followed by further attempts to stop the “Illegal” Seizure of Mexican land by the Gold Rushers. He stopped accepting foreign ships carrying people from coming into the coastal towns of Alta California. This reaction by the Governor only antagonised the situation, the immigrants becoming increasingly upset over the control that Alvarado tried to create. The point that pushed the immigrants over the edge was the active presence of the Mexican Soldiers that Alvarado had available who were instructed to take the gold from immigrants.
The War of Californian Independence
The rebellion started of dis-unified. Groups of the settlers blocked the trails leading into the Sierra Nevada range; they tried to stop soldiers from getting to the settlements where the immigrants lived. Without any real roads it proved fairly effective. The story was different in the towns of the coast. Once Alvarado heard of the issues in the east he started to arrest the richer Immigrants in the coastal settlements mainly in the immigrant heavy towns such as San Francisco. The arrestees included that of Isaac Graham who had helped Alvarado gain power. It wasn’t until June 6th 1840 when 6 of the protesting settlers were killed by the members of the Mexican army outside of Harris’ Fort. This pushed certain members of settlers to change from protesting, requesting the Governor the lift the aggressive acts on the immigrants to one of Change. This also was the source of the creation of the Californian Affairs Committee. George Marshall was elected speaker of the group, he was a middle aged immigrant from the American Frontier who had moved to Harris’ Fort seeking riches in California. He pushed the view that became quite popular amongst the settlers that they should seek their own independence.
He gathered men and ventured down the Sacramento River towards the bay area. The news from his announcement had reached San Francisco before he had gotten close. Support for Marshall grew quickly in the city. They eventually pushed out the Mexican soldiers from San Francisco who fled to the Sonoma Fort. By the time that Marshall had reached the town in early August 1840 he met up with the San Francisco Californian Affairs leader Nathan C. Sutter the town was firmly in control of the rebellion. They pushed together they pushed towards the Sonoma Fort. It was obviously unfinished by the time they arrived and General Vallejo who had been in command was already ready to surrender it to the oncoming rebels. They released the prisoners that they held such as Isaac Graham. The capture of the barracks didn’t give Marshall and his militia much in the way of supplies and weapons as the building had just been finished with the Mexican munitions focused elsewhere in the region. It did come with one advantage, that of Vallejo. He had been previously creating a network of alliances with the local Native Americans[5]. Through Marshall’s discussions with Vallejo and the local Native American chiefs, whom Vallejo had gained a good standing relationship with, explaining to him the real reason for establishing the revolt persuaded Vallejo sympathy towards Marshall’s cause. This in turn gave Marshall the tentative support of both Vallejo and his Native American allies. Historians would continue to discuss the significance of Vallejo’s discussion to join the rebellion and whether or not his heart was fully in it or that it was just a situation which was more preferable to Vallejo.
The support of Vallejo would be seen as a turning point in the rebellion. The Settlers now had access to a strategically important area as well as allies to assist them. Marshall sent his men south to capture Monterey quickly before a counter offensive could be launched by the remaining Mexican troops under Alvarado’s command. By Mid-September they arrived at the settlement but they found that Alvarado had retreated south towards Los Angles. Monterey would become home to Marshall and his militia [6], using it as a forward base along the western coast in the rebellion. He would gain news from various other areas in the Sierra Nevada range of settlers announcing their support of his cause. Monterey would also host the first drafts of the Californian Constitution which wouldn’t be finalised until after the war although it would lay the foundations to what the republic would be founded on.
Alvarado would find himself without assistance. The Mexican Government had requested that a change of Governorship was in order and sent up around 500 men. Once they had arrived they came with the push for Alvarado to step down and Pío Pico to replace him. This change in Governor of Alta California wouldn’t help the Mexican government to hold onto the region as Pico personally sympathised with the reasons behind the rebellion itself [7]. Once he got word that General Vallejo was also supporting the rebellion, although in really just giving it personal support rather than taking part, Pico’s mind was made up. It could be argued that it was Pico’s businessman mentality that led him to conduct in his sort lived Governorship in such a way that allowed for rebels to eventually succeed. He felt that it was in the interests of the thousands of people living within the region as well as seeing that the Gold that was mined would not go to the people of the region but would go into the pockets of the Elites in Mexico City to run their own private armies and wage war with each other.
The Republic
It would take another seven months before peace and Californian independence was signed by both parties on July 21st 1841. Between Marshall and the support given to him by the Governor Pico pushed the Mexican Government to concede defeat to the rebellion. They didn’t have the manpower or the resources to take complete control of Alta California. They had been dealing with strikes by the Mexican army over pay which only added to the situation as well as fearing that the prolonging of hostilities in the region would only allow the United States to intervene especially over the large amount of settlers of American origin in the area. On top of the Alta California Rebellion they had other regions in Mexico attempting to become independent which the Government felt was more important that the northern territory. The Mexican Government had tried on last time to regain control by once again changing the Governorship of Alta California to Micheltorena but Pico who was in control of the southern region of Alta California refused Micheltorena’s entrance. This was both a huge victory for the Californians and another massive blow to the prestige of Mexico who had also lost Texas in 1836.
McAvoy's Flag of Caliornia.
The Flag of California [8] rose above the towns across the newly independent nation. It was now a time for Marshall to create a working Government and not allow their victory to go to waste. Along with the main settler members of the rebellion he invited Vallejo and Pico to join in the making of the first Californian Government. He hoped they would help to bring the perspectives of the Native and Spanish speakers of the region as it was the end it was the combination of the Natives, English and Spanish speaking folk who allowed for California to gain its independence. California had control from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, from the disputed Oregon territory to the Gila River. They had the control over a massive amount of land, with a vast amount of untouched resources. They had a chance to reinvent themselves and become something new. In the words of George Marshall outside the house in the town of Monterey on July 21st 1841…
“We are no longer English, American, German or Mexican. We are from now and till the end of days: Californian.”
Map of the Californian War of Independence
Author's Comments
[1] - Main POD for the TL which is an earlier discovery of gold which allowed for more people to move to California. The movement of people therefore will change history more so further a field.
[2] 90 000 in around 3 years which is less than the movement of people OTL within 3 years however many more will come post-Californian independence
[3] OTL location of Sutter's Mill
[4] Occurred OTL and before the POD's effects would be fully effective.
[5] Vallejo OTL had interactions with the Native population.
[6] Marshall didn't want to venture too far south without proper support. He feared that the size of Alta California could allow for movements of counter forces to out maneuver him and his militia.
[7] I read that Pico had support of an independent California so I allowed for an easier change of viewpoint to occur to simulate this view point of his. This along with that he was a natural born resident of the region which I thought may have given him some more personal support.
[8] The gold and red bars represent the Gold of California and the blood of those who died securing it's freedom. The 3 stars represent the English, Spanish and Native Populations.
[1] - Main POD for the TL which is an earlier discovery of gold which allowed for more people to move to California. The movement of people therefore will change history more so further a field.
[2] 90 000 in around 3 years which is less than the movement of people OTL within 3 years however many more will come post-Californian independence
[3] OTL location of Sutter's Mill
[4] Occurred OTL and before the POD's effects would be fully effective.
[5] Vallejo OTL had interactions with the Native population.
[6] Marshall didn't want to venture too far south without proper support. He feared that the size of Alta California could allow for movements of counter forces to out maneuver him and his militia.
[7] I read that Pico had support of an independent California so I allowed for an easier change of viewpoint to occur to simulate this view point of his. This along with that he was a natural born resident of the region which I thought may have given him some more personal support.
[8] The gold and red bars represent the Gold of California and the blood of those who died securing it's freedom. The 3 stars represent the English, Spanish and Native Populations.
