[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24089]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  IN HONOR OF THE PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 17, 2004

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Presidio of Monterey 
and its historic status for our nation, and for the State of 
California. This month the Sons of the American Revolution will be 
honoring the Presidios of San Diego, Monterey, Santa Barbara and San 
Francisco as historical sites for their role in the American 
Revolution.
  Indeed, many of our fellow citizens are unaware of the role of Spain 
in our founding as a new nation, but it was an important part of the 
global politics of the time. On June 21, 1779, King Carlos III declared 
war on England in support of the American colonies, a declaration that 
affected not only the Iberian Peninsula, but also the Spanish colonies 
in the New World. Monterey was one such colony.
  In order to assist the militias and people of the united colonies, 
King Carlos requested that all citizens and residents of Alta 
California donate money to the struggle. These donations, when gathered 
together by Father Junipero Serra, totaled 2,683 Spanish silver 
dollars, a sizable amount that no doubt greatly assisted the funding 
and financing of this new nation. Besides the local assistance provided 
by the residents of the Presidio and surrounding missions, Spain's 
contributions to the fight for independence were of vital importance in 
bringing about the eventual defeat of the British army and the Treaty 
of Paris.
  Mr. Speaker, most of my constituents already know the Presidio of 
Monterey well, because it is still an operating military base today. 
While the fact that it is still a major training center for today's 
military may mask its historical importance overall, it is recognition 
such as this month's presentation by the Sons of the American 
Revolution that keep that history alive. I commend them for their work 
in highlighting this important institution, and thank them for 
continuing to remind us of how important our national history is to us 
all.

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