Bear Revolt

In 1846, California was still part of Mexico, but many Americans had moved there hoping the land would eventually become part of the United States. Tensions were growing between the U.S. and Mexico, especially after disagreements over Texas. At the same time, leaders in California were arguing with each other about who should be in charge.

An American army captain named John C. Frémont arrived in California with armed men. Some American settlers became worried that Mexican leaders planned to force them to leave California. In June of 1846, a group of settlers rode to the town of Sonoma, captured Mexican General Mariano Vallejo, and took over the town without much fighting. They raised a homemade flag with a bear and a star on it and declared California an independent country called the “California Republic.”

The rebels became known as the “Osos,” which means “bears” in Spanish. Although the revolt sounded exciting, it only lasted a few weeks. Soon after, the United States officially declared war on Mexico, and the U.S. Navy arrived in California and raised the American flag over important towns like Monterey and San Francisco. California then became controlled by the United States.

The Bear Flag Revolt became an important symbol in California history because it showed how California was changing from Mexican rule to becoming part of the United States. The bear on California’s state flag today comes from the original Bear Flag used during the revolt.