Bear Flag Republic
ROAD TO STATEHOOD
We Can’t
Bear It.
IT’S
REVOLTING!
HOME,
HOME
ON THE
RANCHO
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Bear_Flag_Cover.indd 1
1/27/17 12:44 PM
2
Pushes
and
Pulls
What would make you decide to leave your
you could fit into a wagon or carry onto a
ship. What would make you do it?
What would have made people of the
early 19th century decide to head for
California? Why did they travel thousands
of miles by ship or make the difficult overland journey with little information and
few hard facts about their unknown
destination? Some were pushed to make
the journey by circumstances at home.
Some were pulled by the lure of California
and other destinations in the West.
The
The Push
Push
r MORMON
beliefs were very
different from the
beliefs of most
Americans, especially Protestants
in the 1800s. NonMormons were
suspicious and
fearful. To escape
prejudice, Mormons
in New York looked
to the West, where
they could create
communities of their
own. One place
they settled was
San Bernardino,
California.
home, your neighborhood, your state –
everything familiar – knowing you would
never return? Or to be an immigrant,
someone who comes from one country
to live in another? What would make you
decide to travel thousands of miles on
land or sea to an unknown place? No
restaurants along the way. No motels.
No rest stops. Only the food and clothes
d IT WAS CALLED
the Panic of 1837.
Banks closed.
Crops failed.
Factories shut
down. People lost
their jobs, and the
price of flour rose
sky-high. As times
grew worse in
the East, the
possibilities of the
West looked better
and better.
d AS PEOPLE
immigrated to
the United States,
cities in the East
became more and
more crowded.
Bear Flag_sp1_B.indd 2
Young adults from
large families
moved out of the
family home to
smaller cities away
from the coast.
They also moved
to the frontier, land
beyond the settled
parts of the U.S.
1/27/17 12:53 PM
The Pull
u GOLD! IT WAS
discovered in
California in
January 1848. After
President James
u NEW ENGLAND
farmers tilled the
rocky valleys of
the Appalachian
Mountains. Many
thought about how
much easier their
lives might be if they
Bear Flag_sp1_B.indd 3
Polk announced the
discovery, a rush
to California began.
It was called the
Gold Rush, a huge
were farming the
open, fertile lands
in the West. Many
made the move
there. They were
the pioneers, the
first people to settle
in the new land.
l FUR HATS WERE
all the rage back
East. They were in
demand, and supply
was short. People
were willing to pay
a high price to own
one. Where did the
furs come from?
The West, of course.
Mountain men and
trappers had the
strength, courage,
and love of adventure to push west in
the 1820s looking
for fur-bearing
animals. These
early frontier people
created overland
trails that later
were widened to fit
groups of wagons
called wagon trains.
movement of
people, tens of
thousands, all in
search of their
fortune.
r IT WAS ALL
over the news.
Pamphlets about
the new frontier
were everywhere.
Later came letters
from friends and
family members
who had moved
west. They all told
stories of riches
and adventure, of
unclaimed land,
of geographical
wonders, and a
healthy climate.
Some stories
were true.
Some were
exaggerated.
All attracted
people to
the West.
l IN THE EARLY
1800s, California
was part of Mexico,
which declared its
independence from
Spain in 1821 and
abolished slavery.
Learning this,
many enslaved
African Americans
escaped slavery by
train or steamboat,
but most went on
foot to find freedom in California.
1/31/17 9:44 AM
4
Early Firsts
hat does it mean to be the first o be
a leader o do something no one before
you has done
hat kinds of individuals
choose to do these things o bla e trails
o risk their lives o build something
JAMES
BECKWOURTH was
a trailblazer, a
person who made
new paths for
others to follow.
He was one of
those trappers
who pushed west
into Missouri and
beyond. In 1828,
the Crow Indians of
Wyoming captured
Beckwourth.
According to
Beckwourth, the
Crow mistook him
for the son of a
chief. According
to others,
Beckwourth was
with the Crow to
set up trade with
them.
In either case,
the Crow adopted
Beckwourth, and
he followed their
way of life for
many years. After
Beckwourth left the
Crow, he worked to
guide wagon trains
through the mountains to California.
In the process, he
found a pass, or
opening between
mountains. The
pass came to be
known as the
Beckwourth Trail.
It was one of the
lowest and safest trails through
the Sierra Nevada
mountain range.
l IF YOU LIVE IN
Chico, you have a
connection to John
Bidwell. In 1841,
Bidwell joined
a wagon train
headed for Oregon.
When the pioneers
reached Fort Hall
in Idaho, they split
Bear Flag_sp2_B_v2.indd 2
from nothing hat if anything do
they e pect in return eet some of
alifornia s early pioneers people
who were ready to e plore and face
the unknown
into two groups.
One group turned
south toward
California. John
Bidwell was in that
group. He and the
others made one of
the first overland
trips to California.
Bidwell became
rich after finding
gold in the Feather
River. He used
his wealth to buy
some land, which
he called Rancho
del Arroyo Chico.
He planted fruit
trees and wheat
fields. He grew
grapes and raised
cattle. In 1860,
Bidwell officially
established the
town of Chico.
Bidwell Park, in
Chico, honors his
place in California
history.
1/27/17 12:56 PM
u HE WAS A LEGEND
in his own time.
The legend began
when John C.
Frémont hired him.
Kit Carson was
to guide Frémont
through the
Rocky Mountains
to Oregon and
California. Frémont
wrote about his
expeditions and
about Carson’s
accomplishments
along the trail. As
people read the
reports, Carson’s
reputation grew.
Before long, he
appeared larger
than life in fiction –
shown as a rough
mountain man
capable of superhuman feats. In real
life, Carson was
known for his courage and humility. “A
man whose word
was as sure as the
sun comin’ up”* is
how an acquaintance of Carson
described him.
*From The Mythical West: An
Encyclopedia of Legend, Lore,
and Popular Culture by Richard
W. Slatta. ABC-Clio, 2001.
u JEDEDIAH STRONG
SMITH was an
explorer and fur
trapper. With a tip
from the Crow
Indians, Smith and
his group found
an easy route
Bear Flag_sp2_B_v2.indd 3
across the Rocky
Mountains. The
route came to be
known as South
Pass. Eventually,
South Pass became
one of the main
routes for trappers
and settlers headed
to Oregon and
California. Years
later, Smith led the
first group of fur
trappers through
the Mojave Desert
to California.
u MILITARY OFFICER.
Explorer. Mapmaker. These
words describe
John C. Frémont
well. Beginning
in 1842, Frémont
headed five
expeditions to the
West. Before he
was finished,
he had traveled
through the entire
region and become
involved in helping
California free
itself from Mexican
rule. According to
some historians,
one of his greatest
feats was the book
he wrote with his
wife, Jessie. The
book was about
California. It was
complete with
maps and reports,
and may have
influenced many
pioneers to make
the trip west.
1/27/17 12:56 PM
6
Trouble Brewing
Imagine this: You own hundreds of
thousands of acres of land. You have
power. You have control. You lay down
the law that all must obey. There’s only
one problem: Few people live on your
land. There is almost no one to obey the
laws you set down. This was the problem
u DURING HIS FIRST
expedition west,
John C. Frémont
noticed that
California was not
well defended.
He returned to
Monterey in 1846
with about 60
soldiers. Frémont
hoped to take control of California.
But General José
Castro, California’s
Mexican military
leader, ordered
Frémont to leave.
As Frémont and his
men headed north
to Oregon, they
spread a rumor
that Castro was
going to make all
American settlers
leave California.
People who had
not become
Mexican citizens
were worried their
lives were about to
change. This was
particularly true of
squatters, people
who did not have
clear rights to the
land they were
living on. So they
were suspicious of
Mexican rule.
facing Mexico ever since it had won its
independence from Spain. It needed more
people to settle in California (or Alta
California, as it was then called). Mexico’s
solution was land grants, gifts of land to
settlers. The government used the land
grants to lure people to California. And it
worked! Many land grants became huge
ranchos, or cattle ranches. The population
grew. And the growth caused problems.
d THE MEXICAN
government didn’t
set up clear rules
for governing
California. And it
had no plans for
paying people to
work in government. As a result,
the government of
the territory was not
well organized. In
the 25 years after
Mexico won its
independence from
Spain, California
had more than a
dozen governors.
u THE ECONOMY
of California was
weak. The church no
longer controlled the
missions, or religious
settlements. Much of
the mission property
had been sold or
given away as land
grants. As a result,
rancho owners –
people who owned
the large cattle
ranches – could
buy more land at
low prices. The real
power in California
belonged to them,
not to the people in
government.
ALTA CALIFORNIA
was enormous.
The northernmost
point was hundreds of miles
from Mexico
City, the capital.
It would take
hundreds of
soldiers to patrol
and control the
territory. The
Mexican government didn’t have
the money to pay
them. And few
Mexicans were
willing to move
there. Without
soldiers to patrol
the area, there
was little hope of
keeping order.
Bear Flag_sp3_B.indd 2
1/27/17 1:14 PM
7
PÍO PICO
u PICO BOULEVARD
is a major street in
Los Angeles. Pico
Rivera is a city
near Los Angeles.
Both are named for
Pío Pico. Pío Pico
was of Spanish,
African, and
American
Indian heritage.
He was the governor of Mexican
California when the
Mexican-American
War ended in 1848.
That makes him
the last governor of
Mexican California.
Pío Pico and his
brother, General
Andrés Pico, organized the surrender
of California to the
United States.
Bear Flag_sp3_B.indd 3
d THEY WERE BORN
in California. Their
parents were
Spanish or Latin
American. They
were Californios
– Spanish
Californians.
Pío Pico was
a Californio.
r PEOPLE WERE
arriving in California
all the time, mainly
from within the
United States.
Some were businesspeople who
came to trade in
cowhide and tallow
and decided
to stay. (Tallow is
fat from cattle and
sheep, which is
used to make soap
and candles.)
Others were
mountain men like
Jedediah Smith.
Still others were
frontier settlers like
Nancy Kelsey. The
Mexican government passed laws
for new
immigrants. The
laws required they
become citizens
of Mexico and convert to Catholicism.
Often, the laws
were not enforced,
which made it even
harder for
the government
to keep control
of the territory. What’s
more, Californios
themselves were
divided over
what to do about
American settlers in
California.
THE STAGE WAS
set for trouble:
More and more
Americans were
moving west.
The Mexican
government
remained weak.
Landowners held
all the power. And
many of them
supported the
United States, not
Mexico. It would
only be a matter
of time.
1/27/17 1:14 PM
8
Mexican-American War
Everyone argues every once in a while.
Think about the last time you had an
argument. Chances are you were arguing
about one thing, but the argument was
really about something else altogether,
1836
1824
MEXICO WON ITS
independence from
Spain in 1821.
Three years later, it
became a republic
– a form of government in which
people elect their
leaders. Mexico
was bigger than
1845
the present-day
states of Texas,
New Mexico, and
California combined. Find Mexico
City, the capital,
on the map. Now
imagine what it
was like to travel
from Mexico City to
the northern border
of California. How
could people in the
capital communi-
cate with settlers
in the northern
area? There were
no telephones.
No telegrams. No
e-mails. Messages
had to be delivered
by horseback or
wagon. No wonder
it was difficult to
control what went
on in the parts of
the country far
from the capital.
r WHEN MEXICO
became independent, United States
citizens in Texas
automatically
became Mexican
citizens. Problems
between Texas and
Mexico developed
right away. The
problem was that
Mexican leaders
still thought of
Texas as part of
Mexico. No wonder
these leaders were
upset. The problems
led to war, and in
1836, Texas won its
independence.
MAY 1846
d IN 1845,
Mexican and U.S.
leaders disagreed
about the border
between Texas
and Mexico. The
United States
claimed the Rio
Grande River
was the border.
The Mexican
government
claimed it was
the Nueces River.
u IN SPRING OF
1846, tensions
between the
United States and
Mexico came to
a head. In March
of that year, U.S.
soldiers crossed
the Nueces River,
Arkansas River
Disputed
area
the border Mexico
had set. In April,
Mexican troops
attacked them.
On May 13, 1846,
the United States
declared war on
Mexico. And so
began the MexicanAmerican War.
Texas
Mexico
Bear Flag_sp4_B.indd 2
Rio
Grande
Nueces
River
Gulf
of
Mexico
1/27/17 1:19 PM
9
something that had been building up and
building up. The buildup is the backstory.
The same process may take place between
nations. In 1846, Mexico and the United
States went to war. The results of that war
NOVEMBER 1845
DECEMBER 1845
l JAMES. K. POLK,
president of the
U.S., wanted to
keep expanding
the country. He had
added Texas. Now
he wanted to add
California. In
November 1845,
Polk offered to pay
Bear Flag_sp4_B.indd 3
coincided with the beginning of California
and other western territories, but the
backstory began decades earlier….
Mexico $40 million for California,
New Mexico, and
Arizona, but Mexico
refused to sell. As
a result, tensions
between the two
countries continued
to grow.
r PROBLEMS
between the U.S.
and Mexico got
worse. In 1845,
Texas citizens
voted to join the
U.S. And the U.S.
voted to annex,
or add, Texas. On
December 29,
Texas became
the 28th state.
Mexico refused to
recognize that
Texas was
independent.
No wonder U.S.
government
leaders became
even more upset.
1/27/17 1:19 PM
8
For a short time,
California was an
independent republic
known as the Bear Flag
Republic. This was its
ag he gri ly bear
stands for strength and
determination. In 1911,
the Bear Flag became
alifornia s state ag
Bear_Flag_sp5_B.indd 2
1/27/17 1:20 PM
9
Bear_Flag_sp5_B.indd 3
1/27/17 1:21 PM
12
Bear Flag Revolt
Imagine a time without Internet or phones
or even widely distributed newspapers.
In the 1840s, news traveled slowly. But
rumors didn’t, especially rumors of a
coming war between the United States and
Mexico. The rumors made the people of
California fearful. They felt Mexico might
attack them to prevent a rebellion. So they
acted. Even before news of the start of the
Mexican-American War reached them, the
people in California began their own revolt.
d IT WAS MAY 13.
On this date in
1846, the United
States declared
war against
Mexico. But
the declaration
was made in
Washington, D.C.
So the people of
Alta California
had no idea. The
news had not yet
reached them. At
about the same
time, John C.
Frémont arrived
at Sutter’s Fort
with a group
of soldiers.
Supposedly, their
job was to survey
the area. But they
did more than
that. Frémont
spoke with settlers there. He
encouraged them
to get ready for
a revolt against
Mexico. Many
settlers were
already suspicious
of Mexico, so they
were more than
happy to prepare.
u THE DATE WAS
June 14, 1846.
Thirty settlers
marched into the
town of Sonoma.
They called themselves Osos, the
Spanish word for
“bears.” The settlers’ goal was
to take control of
California away
from Mexico. They
had become rebels, people who
fight against the
government. The
rebels went to the
Bear Flag_sp6_B.indd 2
home of Mariano
Vallejo. Vallejo was
the most important
Mexican official in
Sonoma. He actually agreed with the
rebels’ cause and
invited them into
his home. Vallejo’s
idea was to discuss
the situation with
the rebels. But they
had something
else in mind. They
arrested Vallejo
and declared
California to be
a free republic.
1/27/17 1:22 PM
u THE REBELS
raised a handmade
flag over Sonoma’s
main plaza. With
r THE U.S. AND
Mexico had
already been
at war for two
months. As part
of that conflict,
President Polk
wanted the U.S.
to take control
of Monterey, the
capital of Mexican
California. Polk
picked John D.
Sloat, a commander in the U.S.
Navy, to do the job.
He ordered Sloat
to sail to Monterey.
Sloat reached
Monterey on July
2, 1846. He had
250 soldiers with
him. Five days
later, they took
control of the city
without firing a
single shot.
this, California
declared itself to
be an independent
republic. Later,
the republic was
named the Bear
Flag Republic.
JOHN D. SLOAT
l THE DATE WAS
July 9, 1846.
On this date in
Sonoma, the
Bear Flag was
lowered, and the
United States flag
was raised. This
marked the end
of the Bear Flag
Republic.
Bear Flag_sp6_B.indd 3
1/27/17 1:22 PM
14
Annexation!
It’s one thing to declare that California is part
of the United States. It’s another thing for
other countries – particularly Mexico – to
accept this and act accordingly. Acceptance
took another six months and many battles.
l COMMANDER
Sloat named
Robert F. Stockton
(left) to replace him.
Stockton made the
Bear Flaggers –
as the California
rebels were called
– part of the U.S.
Army. Stockton
ordered John C.
Frémont and
Archibald Gillespie,
a U.S. marine, to
lead them. The
group set out to
take control of
other California
cities, including
Los Angeles.
ON AUGUST 13,
Frémont and
Gillespie captured
Los Angeles. Soon
after, Stockton
declared, “California
is entirely free from
Mexican dominion
[rule].”* But the
victory did not last
long. When some
Californios rebelled
against the soldiers,
the soldiers retreated
and followed Gillespie
back to San Pedro, a
rancho outside Los
Angeles. There, they
met another group
of U.S. soldiers. The
two groups returned
to Los Angeles to
fight again. After
several battles,
including those led
by General Stephen
Watts Kearny, the
Californios lost. The
final battle took
place at San Pasqual.
Kearny and Stockton
took control of Los
Angeles on January
10, 1847. The battle
for California was
over.
*From What I Saw in California by
Edwin Bryant. Ross and Haines,
1967.
Bear Flag_sp7_B.indd 2
1/27/17 1:23 PM
l MEXICAN
governor Pío Pico
and his brother,
General Andrés
Pico, helped
arrange the
surrender of
California. The
two sides met
at Campo de
Cahuenga near
the Los Angeles
River. There, they
discussed what
would be called
the Treaty of
Cahuenga. (A
treaty is a written agreement
between groups
or nations.)
There shall be firm
and universal peace
between the United States
of America and the
Mexican Republic, and
between their respective
countries, territories, cities,
towns and people, without
exception of places or persons.
According to
the treaty, the
Californios
would give up
their weapons
and promise not
to fight against
the U.S. again.
They would also
agree to obey
the laws of the
U.S. In return,
the Californios
would enjoy the
same rights as
U.S. citizens.
When both
sides signed
the agreement,
the conquest of
California was
complete.
The date
was January
13, 1847.
— Text from the Treaty
of Guadalupe Hidalgo*
15
d LESS THAN A
month after the
fighting stopped in
California, another
treaty officially
ended the MexicanAmerican War. The
date was February
2, 1848. The place
was Guadalupe
Hidalgo, a town
where the Mexican
government had
fled toward the
end of the war.
The event was
the signing of the
Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo. The
Mexican-American
War was over.
*From Article I of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago. https://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.
php?doc=26&page=transcript
u WHEN THE TREATY
of Guadalupe
Hidalgo was signed,
California, Utah,
Nevada, and parts
of New Mexico,
Arizona, Colorado,
and Wyoming
officially became
parts of the United
States. These lands
had made up one-
Bear Flag_sp7_B.indd 3
third of the northern
half of Mexico and
together measure
over 500,000
square miles. In
addition, Mexico
gave up all claims
to Texas. Plus, it
recognized the
Rio Grande as the
southern border.
With this treaty,
President Polk’s
dreams of the
United States
extending from
the Atlantic to the
Pacific came true.
The land transferred from Mexico
to the U.S. came
to be known
as the Mexican
Cession.
d AS PART OF THE
treaty, the United
States paid Mexico
$15 million. The
U.S. also agreed to
protect the rights
of Mexican citizens
living in the United
States territory and
allow them to
become citizens.
The United States
would also honor
the property rights
of Mexican citizens.
1/27/17 1:23 PM
16
Fast
Track to
Statehood
September 9. It
could be a redletter date on every
calendar sold in
California. Why?
Because it was on
this date in 1850
that California
became the 31st
state of the United
States. California’s
path to statehood
was the fastest.
Most states first
entered the union
as territories. But
not California.
After being part of
the United States
for two years, it
went directly to
statehood. And
along the way, it
adopted a state
constitution with
a difference.
THE CALIFORNIA
Constitution did not
give women the right
to vote. But it did
give them the right
to own property.
Bear_Flag_sp8_B.indd 16
A Constitution
u THE MEXICANAmerican War was
over. California was
part of the United
States. But it was
neither a territory
nor a state. After
the war, the U.S.
Congress had not
set up any kind
of government
for California.
So Californians
took matters into
their own hands.
They decided to
create a constitution, or plan
of government.
On September 1,
1849, almost a
year to the day
before California
would become
a state, the
work of writing
the California
Constitution began.
Delegates, people
chosen to repre-
sent residents of
California, met in
Monterey. They
worked continuously for six weeks
to write a constitution. In November,
the people of
California voted to
ratify, or approve,
the constitution.
u NOWHERE IN THE
U.S. Constitution
will you find a
description of the
boundaries of our
country. But you
will find them
in the California
Constitution.
Every last turn of
the border. And all
the islands along
the Pacific Coast.
JUDICIAL
LEGISLATIVE
u IN SOME WAYS,
the California
Constitution was
like the U.S.
Constitution.
People had many
of the same
guarantees and
freedoms. It also
set up three parts,
or branches,
EXECUTIVE
of government,
just like the U.S.
government. The
legislative branch
made the laws. It
was made up of
a legislature, or
group of officials
the people elected. The executive
branch made
sure that the laws
were carried out.
The head of the
executive branch
was the governor.
The judicial branch
decided what
the laws meant.
It included the
courts.
1/27/17 1:25 PM
17
Statehood!
r BY LAW, AN AREA
needed a population of 60,000
before it could
become a state.
California had no
problem meeting
this requirement.
There was gold
to be had. People
streamed into
the state from all
over the world.
In a short time,
about 90,000 fortune seekers had
arrived. California
most definitely had
the population for
statehood, but it
wasn’t such a
simple matter.
u THE PEOPLE
mining for gold
needed sturdy
clothes. Levi
Strauss started a
business to provide
them. The term
“genes” (later
jeans) came to
refer to all types of
heavyweight pants,
including the ones
made by Strauss.
The name stuck.
Today, most people
have at least one
pair.
Free States
Slave States
l ACCORDING TO
the Compromise
of 1850, California
would join the
Union as a free
state. In exchange,
Congress passed a
law – the Fugitive
Slave Act – that
said anyone who
was caught helping an escaped
enslaved person
would be punished. California
officially became
the 31st state
on September 9,
1850 – only two
years after the
Mexican-American
War ended and in
record time.
l CALIFORNIA’S
request for
statehood set
off a huge debate.
At the time, the
United States was
struggling with
slavery. The country had the same
number of free
states as slave
states. California’s
Constitution did
not allow slavery.
It would have to
enter the United
States as a
free state. The
representatives
of slave-holding
states didn’t like
the idea of being
outnumbered. It
took eight months
for members of the
U.S. Congress to
make a deal that
became known as
the Compromise of
1850.
Territories
Bear_Flag_sp8_B.indd 17
1/27/17 1:25 PM
18
Activities
IMMIGRANT
GUIDEBOOK
Imagine you’re one of the early settlers. With no atlas, no
Internet, and no GPS, you have to find your way on your own.
Use your knowledge of early California to write a guidebook
for others who will be arriving soon. Be sure to include
information about routes, supplies, and climate. Add a
map and drawings of handy tools that settlers might need.
FLAG DESIGN
Imagine you were given the honor of designing the
first flag of California. Would you use the grizzly bear
as its symbol? Consider using other representations of
California, such as a pan of gold, plentiful sunshine, cattle,
or a cornucopia overflowing with fruit and vegetables; or
perhaps acknowledge the Mexican heritage of the state.
Illustrate your flag, give your republic a name, and be
prepared to explain your design to other students.
Bear Flag_sp9_B.indd 18
1/27/17 1:28 PM
19
MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH THESE RELATED TITLES
Gold Rush
Gold, how it glittered in the sunlight!
What effect did this brilliant metal have
on California? How did it change the
politics, the environment, and the lives
of the people who came to live there?
Explore the effect of sudden wealth –
and conflicts – the Gold Rush brought.
Cultural Development
and Diversity
California: Becoming
an Economic Power
California is one of the most diverse
states in our country. This is your
chance to explore why and how it
happened – why immigration and
migration to California exploded
between 1840 and 1900 and how
cultural influences from the world
over play out in California.
How did California become the
agricultural and industrial powerhouse
it is today? Find out by tracing the
transformation of California, from
revolutionary developments in transportation and communication to
massive engineering projects that led
to our state’s major role in agriculture.
CALIFORNIA
STANDARDS
LEARN
MORE
ONLINE!
HSS 4.3 Students explain the
economic, social, and political life in California from the
establishment of the Bear Flag
Republic through the MexicanAmerican War, the Gold Rush,
and the granting of statehood.
• Families that
traveled overland
from east to west
experienced
great hardships
on their journey. Were the
risks worth the
rewards?
• George and
Jacob Donner
led a group of
87 men, women,
and children
west. The journey prompted
daughter Eliza
to write a
book. Read an
excerpt from
her first-person
acccount.
Bear Flag_sp9_B.indd 19
• President Polk’s
vision was to
expand the
United States
to the Pacific
Ocean. Explore
his dream,
an idea that
became known
as Manifest
Destiny.
• Learn what
General John
Sloat said to his
soldiers before
they made their
infamous entrance
into Monterey.
• James W.
Marshall was
working on John
Sutter’s farm
in northern
California. While
digging, he and
his co-workers
found something
that looked like
gold. And indeed
it was! But who
would share in
these riches?
4.3.1 Identify the locations of
Mexican settlements in California
and those of other settlements,
including Fort Ross and Sutter’s
Fort. 4.3.2 Compare how and
why people traveled to California
and the routes they traveled (e.g.,
James Beckwourth, John Bidwell,
John C. Fremont, Pio Pico). 4.3.4
Study the lives of women who
helped build early California (e.g.,
Biddy Mason). 4.3.5 Discuss how
California became a state and
how its new government differed
from those during the Spanish
and Mexican periods.
1/27/17 1:28 PM
hmhco.com
EDITOR: Jennifer Dixon
ART DIRECTION: Brobel Design
DESIGNERS: Ian Brown, Ed Gabel,
David Ricculli, Jeremy Rech
PHOTO RESEARCH: Ted Levine,
Elisabeth Morgan
ACTIVITIES WRITER: Michael Kline
PROOFREADER: Margaret Mittelbach
FACT-CHECKER: David Stienecker
AUTHOR: Marjorie Frank
PRESIDENT AND CEO: Ted Levine
CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER: Mark Levine
GRADE 4 TITLES
California: Places and Regions
re- olumbian eople of alifornia
panish
ploration and oloni ation
Mexican Settlement and Rule
Bear Flag Republic: Road to Statehood
Gold Rush
Civil Rights
ultural evelopment and iversity
California: Becoming an Economic
Power
A Plan for Government
American Government:
Federal, State, and Local
ON THE COVER: ohn
r mont hoists the gri ly bear ag of the alifornia epublic in
Sonoma, California, June 10, 1846: Getty Images: Stock Montage/Archive Photos.
PICTURE CREDITS: Alamy: p center right alifornia propaganda Art Resource: p
top right ear lag Bridgeman Images: eter ewark merican ictures p bottom
left edediah trong mith Getty Images: olin awkins p center left panning
for gold e gostini p center attle of alo lto pp
bottom e ican
troops leaving eracru
ncyclopaedia ritannica p
top right
th-century map of
alifornia ean ollection p
bottom left map of e ican- merican ar risma
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anne ation of e as ichard ummings p top right ormon
battalion historic site tock ontage pp
center ear lag revolt tringer
p top left r mont entering onterey p
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top left evi trauss
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ood
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ifteen illion ollars
attle ra ing pp
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pp
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