jun 14, 1846 - Bear Flag Revolt

Description:

A revolt by a group of American settlers that rebelled against Mexico and declared California to be an independent republic.

Mexico feared the growing number of American settlers in California were not interested in becoming Mexican citizens and wanted the US to annex the area. On the eve of the Mexican-American War, the settlers feared the Mexicans would preemptively strike them to avoid rebellion. US Army officer John C. Frémont (later a politician) encouraged the locals to create a militia, which on June 14 captured Sonoma, a Mexican outpost near San Francisco. They arrested retired Mexican General Mariano Vallejo and his family, though he was in favor of US annexation of California.

The rebels created a flag featuring a California grizzly bear and declared California to be an independent republic, including a star as reference to the "Lone Star Republic" of Texas, which was its own country after seceding from Mexico. In July, the rebels learned that the US, who had declared war on Mexico, had successfully invaded California. As the US was accomplishing what the rebels wanted, the Bear Republic dissolved on July 9.

The flag the rebels made was officially adopted as the California flag in 1911.