June 1846). This episode is known as the "Bear Flag
War," inasmuch as there was short-lived talk of making California an
independent state, and a flag with a bear as an emblem (California is
still popularly known as the Bear Flag State) flew for a few days at
Sonoma. It was a very small, very disingenuous, inevitably an anomalous,
and in the vanity of proclamations and other concomitant incidents
rather a ridiculous affair; and fortunately for the dignity of
history--and for Fremont--it was quickly merged in a larger question,
when Commodore John Drake Sloat (1780-1867) on the 7th of July raised
the flag of the United States over Monterey, proclaiming California a
part of the United States. The opening hostilities of the Mexican War
had occurred on the Rio Grande. The excuses and explanations later given
by Fremont--military preparations by the Californian authorities, the
imminence of their attack, ripening British schemes for the seizure of
the province, etc.--made up the stock account of historians until the
whole truth came out in 1886 (in Royce's _California_). Californians had
been very friendly to Americans, but Larkin's intimates thought they had
been tricked, and the people resented the stealthy and unprovoked
breaking of peace, and unfortunately the Americans did not known how to
treat them except inconsiderately and somewhat contemptuously. The
result was a feeble rising in the south. The country was fully pacified
by January 1847. The aftermath of Fremont's filibustering acts, followed
as they were by wholly needless hostilities and by some injustice then
and later in the attitude of Americans toward the natives, was a growing
misunderstanding and estrangement, regrettable in Californian history.
Thus there was an end to the "lotos-land society" of California. Another
society, less hospitable, less happy, less contented, but also less
mild, better tempered for building states, and more "progressive," took
the place of the old.

California ceded to the United States.

The rush for gold.

By the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 Mexico ceded California to
the United States. It was just at this time that gold was discovered,
and the new territory took on great national importance. The discussion
as to what should be done with it began in Congress in 1846, immediately
involving the question of slavery. A furious conflict developed, so that
nothing was accomplished in two successive sessions; even at t