Generale Vallejo
He was a Mexican-American soldier who rose to become one of the richest, most powerful men in Alta California. He learned sign language so he could communicate with disabled students, donated miles of land for state projects, and contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars towards a university, public buildings, an orphanage and a mental hospital. He even had a Polaris submarine named after him! But despite his philanthropy, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo lived to see his wealth and prestige almost completely stripped away.
At the time of Mariano's birth in 1808, the Vallejos were one of only 50 or so Spanish-speaking families living near San Francisco Bay. They thought of themselves as Californios, not Spaniards or Mexicans.
After Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico's leaders ordered that the vast land holdings of the Spanish missions in Upper California be divided among the Indians living at the missions and Californios. But in reality, a handful of Californio families came to own all of the land in this region. The Vallejos were one.
As a boy, Mariano learned English, French, and Latin in addition to Spanish. He joined the Mexican army in Alta California as a cadet at age 15. Following successful commands in battles against Indians at the mission of San Jose and elsewhere, he was made head of all military
But in 1844, incoming U.S. president James K. Polk proclaimed that America had a "manifest destiny" to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean. Britain. France and Russia also all had designs on Alta California. The Californios were well aware of their history: land occupied first by Native Americans had been conquered by the Spanish, then taken over by Mexicans. They could see that new rulers of the land would soon be taking over.
Vallejo believed in democracy, and preferred an American takeover. But when American rebels invaded Vallejo's garrison in Sonoma in order to bring about American rule, they threw General Vallejo in jail. During his two-year imprisonment, looters pillaged his estates and squatters even milked his cows in the middle of the night!
During these years, a treaty formally protected the rights of California Mexicans. But the majority of the Californios' lands was stripped by American legal trickery. In addition, the huge influx of Gold Rush settlers made the Californios an outnumbered minority with little political power. By
Still, he managed to avoid too much bitterness for this poor treatment. Vallejo had always been a free thinker who admired the American system of government. While helping to write the California state constitution he pushed for such progressive ideas as permitting Indians to vote, making slavery illegal in California and allowing wives to have separate property from their husbands. He also served his new state and country as an elected state senator. His wisdom and generosity are reflected in his memoirs, where he wrote, "The inhabitants of California have no reason to complain of the change of government, for if the rich have lost thousands of horses and cattle, the poor have been bettered in condition."
Listen to Californio songs at http://home.comcast.net/~tenorguitar/
Find a printable game about Californio life on page 10 at http://www.nhm.org/education/cahistory/4missionsranchos.pdf
About Generale Vallejo’s Strawberry Spread
Our strawberry spread uses strawberries from the Willamette Valley plucked at peak ripeness for mouth-watering berry flavor. All our fruit spreads are fat-free and high in vitamin C and fiber. Make a friend; order two and share the goodness. Net weight 18 oz.
