MEXICAN CALIFORNIA

 U.S. influence?  CA: territory

 Mixed  Democracy, secular  Isolation  Unique “CA”

 Vallejo

 Pío Pico

 Mission lands  Most lands: Californios  700+ grants

 Natives:  loss  New class  Aristocracy

 Petition  Land, map  Local official: survey  Final: assembly  Ceremony

 Andres, Pio Pico: 89k acres  Women (13%)  Indians

 Racing  Customs

 Life  No cattle, no land  Rodeo  L.A.: semi-annual  Fiestas  Meat  “California dollar”

 Natives  Missions  Spanish-Mexican  Culture  Spirit

 Laws, customs=Spanish Mexican  Mystique = Mexican  Pop culture = American?

 Indios  Ranch  Segregation  “Gente de razon”

 Paternalism  Conflict  Indio laborers  Debt bondage  Workers, prostitutes

 Most important: Reproduction  Male possessions  protected, controlled

 Outside trade  Part Mexico  Controlled destiny

 No foreigners!  Texas exp.

 Trade  1830: 100  “Mexicanized”  Marriage, customs

 “Don”  Land, cattle

 50k acres  Fort

 1846  Cannibalism

 Late 1700’s: furs  1840: more interest  ???  Mexicans: wasteful

 1300 foreigners  Most illegal  Did not integrate  Mexico forewarned; too late

 CA: significant  $$$  Texas (1836)

 Rich: unhappy w/Mex.  Join U.S.?  Non-elites:  Independ.  Culture  Opposed forcible annex.

 Hides  Harbors

 Buy Mex.: $3.5, $40 mil.  CA: peaceful annex?

 J. Fremont  Sonoma  M. Vallejo  “Republic”

 Controversy  Thoreau  Racial?  All Mex.?  Natives?  L.A.: local resist.

 Hidalgo  Rights to Mexicans  Article X?  Spanish, Mexico, U.S.

 Californios?  Divided  Racial divide:  Whites  Mestizo  Natives