Who was the commander of the California Bear Flag Republic?

During the Bear Flag Revolt, from June to July 1846, a small group of American settlers in California rebelled against the Mexican government and proclaimed California an independent republic. By noon of June 17, the rebels raised the new California Bear Flag, proclaiming the Mexican province to be the California Republic. William B. Ide had been chosen to serve as commander. The republic was short-lived because soon after the Bear Flag was raised, the U.S. military began occupying California, which went on to join the union in 1850. The Bear Flag became the official state flag in 1911.

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19 Comments

Divinity

I never learned that and I am in almost high school

Joanne Serin

Catherine Montgomery, 60s. He was a horrible mayor, as I remember.

Howard Groopman

Yorty was mayor of LA in the 60s, and Reagan (misspelled in the question) around the same time. Had to be someone from 100 years earlier.

L Lh Adams

filmnut, The US purchased much of the Southwest from the Mexican Government after winning it in wars.

Jaimi McEntire

The California Bear Flag Republic is local mythology. It was a few hundred people who declared independence and made a flag. It was never recognized by anyone, never formed a government, and never had sovereignty over California.

earlepg

The answer was Ide. The President of the United States at the time was Polk. Yorty and Reagan were historical figures in California a hundred years later. The grizzly depicted on the flag of the Bear Flag Republic was said at the time to be rather porcine looking and the flag was lost in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. Grizzly bears were last seen in California near Yosemite in 1924, lost in good measure to hunting.

mainjim

What??? It wasn't Reagan??

John W Shreve

Jim Hubbard, Fremont may have been a cannibal, though not by choice.

John W Shreve

filmnut, There was the little matter of gold at Sutter's Mill.

filmnut

Being a native Californian I know quite a bit about Our Great State . Thr California Bear Flag Republic. It extended quite a ways into What was is Mexico. Actually the United States of America took California from Mexico most likely because we wantedthe water rites .

Catherine Montgomery

Seeing the name Sam Yorty made me laugh outloud! He was mayor of Los Angeles like back in the 1950's......

Jim Hubbard

Fremont could not have been leader of the Bear Flag Revolt if the ones in the revolt were later folded into Fremont's battalion. It doesn't matter what anyone has "read" if you don't read the whole story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Republic