Fresno-Tulare-Kern County CA Archives History - Books .....The Period 1811-23 1892 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 10, 2007, 2:46 am Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Counties Of Fresno, Tulare, And Kern, California THE PERIOD 1811-23 was characterized by a period of strife growing out of a revolution by which the colonies sought to throw off the Spanish yoke. On July 24,1814, Colonel Don Jose Joaquin de Arrillaga died at Soledad mission, at the age of sixty-four years. He was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Pablo Vicente de Sola. It was during his term that the first invasion of a foreign foe, led by Captain Hippolyte Bouchard, commonly known as the "pirate Bouchard," occurred. Sola made great preparations to receive the unpleasant visitor, and on November 20, 1818, a sentinel on Point Pinos, reported that Bouchard's vessels were approaching Monterey. A few hours later two large vessels anchored in the bay and began firing upon Sola's forces, which lined the shore. Nine boats, containing 400 of the invaders, succeeded in landing. Sola, seeing the hopelessness of resistance, spiked his guns, burned his powder, and retreated to the Rancho del Key, fifteen miles distant, where Salinas City now stands. The invaders killed all the cattle they could find, looted the stores, burned the guns and set the fort and presidio on fire. Leaving Monterey, Bouchard sailed down to the Santa Barbara channel, where he plundered the buildings of the Refugio ranch, killed the cattle and carried away some prisoners. On the 6th of December he stopped at Santa Barbara briefly, exchanged some prisoners, and sailed away-out of the history of California. February, 1821, Iturbide proclaimed the independence of Mexico. This valiant royalist became regent of Mexico in September of that year. This information reaching Sola, he immediately called the commandants of the four presidios to a junta, or council, at Monterey, together with Father Payras as representative of the missions and neophytes. The junta met on the 9th of April, and it was resolved to acquiesce in the regency, to obey the new government, to recognize the dependence of California on the Mexican empire only, and to take the prescribed oath. Iturbide followed up his past success by proclaiming himself Emperor of Mexico and California under the title of Agustin I., and sent a commissioner to California to learn the feelings of the people, to obtain an oath of allegiance, to raise the new national flag, and in general to superintend public affairs. This commissioner was Fernandez de San Vicente, a canon of the Durango Cathedral. He went to Monterey on September 26th, and there obtained the oath of allegiance, and on November 9, 1822, organized the first legislature of California, presided over by Governor Sola, and of which Francisco de Haro was secretary. Sola was chosen as deputy to the Mexican Congress, and Captain Luis Arguello was elected to the office of acting Governor. Two days after Sola's departure for Mexico, Arguello assumed the cares of government, November 20, at Monterey. The Iturbidian dynasty came to an inglorious end in March, 1823, when he was forced to abdicate and be banished from the country. One of his last official acts was to appoint a governor to succeed Sola, choosing for the position Captain Bonifacio de Tosta. He held the office but a short time, and the only official act he performed was the collection of money at Gaudalajara, on salary account. Then came the death of Iturbide, July 19, 1824, and the formation of the Mexican Republic, the constitution of which formed New Spain, Yucatan, the Internal Provinces of the East and West and the Californias, into a federation of nineteen States and four territories. The executive power was vested in a president and vice-president, and the legislative in a senate and chamber of deputies. The States were recognized as free, independent and sovereign, and the territories, of which Alta California was one and Baja California was another, were to be administered by a governor appointed by the president and a legislature to be elected by the people. From this time forward California was no longer a royal or an imperial province, but a republican territory. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Memorial and Biographical History OF THE COUNTIES OF Fresno, Tulare, and Kern, California Illustrated Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of its Prospective Future: with Profuse Illustrations of its Beautiful Scenery, Full-page Portraits of Some of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of Many of its Pioneers, and also of Prominent Citizens of to-day. "A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants." -Macaulay. CHICAGO: The Lewis Publishing Company. Undated, but OCLC lists a publication date of 1892 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/fresno/history/1892/memorial/period18492nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb