[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 19524]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING GENERAL MARIANO GUADALUPE VALLEJO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE THOMPSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 17, 2007

  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
200th anniversary of the birth of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. 
General Vallejo was instrumental in the creation of a free California 
and the drafting of the State constitution, and was the first great 
legislator from northern California.
  Mariano Vallejo was born on July 4, 1807 in Monterey, then the 
capital of Spanish California. After Mexico gained independence from 
Spain in 1821, Vallejo joined the newly formed Mexican Army in 
California, where he served for the remainder of Mexican rule. As a 
successful commander, Vallejo was given command of the Presidio in San 
Francisco, where he was charged with defending northern California and 
pushing back against Russian advances along the coast. He founded a 
presidio in Sonoma as a military outpost to extend Mexican influence 
into the northern Bay Area. He also began construction of a casa grande 
in the town square, part of which remains today.
  In 1835, Vallejo was drawn into politics when his nephew Juan 
Alvarado, falsely claiming to act on orders from Vallejo, precipitated 
an uprising against the unpopular Mexican Governor. The uprising was 
successful, and Vallejo traveled to Monterey where he was appointed 
Comandante General of the Free State of Alta California. Subsequent 
recognition by the Federal Government in Mexico City confirmed this, 
and General Vallejo remained in charge of California's military.
  As the military commander of northern California, General Vallejo 
witnessed firsthand the incompetence of Mexican Federal rule, and he 
became convinced of the need to remove California from Mexico. His 
interest in promoting the settlement and development of northern 
California made him reluctant to enforce the Mexican laws dealing with 
foreigners moving into the area, and he often issued passports on the 
spot to new groups of settlers crossing into California. In 1842 
General Vallejo was removed from military command in California and 
replaced by Manuel Micheltorena, who presided over the decline of order 
in the State, ultimately leading to revolt against Mexican rule.
  On June 14, 1846, the Bear Flag Revolt began outside General 
Vallejo's casa grande in Sonoma, and he was taken prisoner and removed 
to Sutter's Fort in the Central Valley. He remained there for more than 
a month, and upon agreeing not to participate in the war with Mexico, 
he was allowed to return home. In early 1849 during American military 
rule, spurred by increasing chaos from the Gold Rush and the sudden 
massive flow of people into the State, Vallejo joined other residents 
of the area to form a council for governing northern California. This 
quickly translated into election to represent the Sonoma area at the 
State constitutional convention in Monterey.
  At the State convention, Vallejo pressed the other delegates on a 
number of key issues, including banning slavery in the State, which 
succeeded, and voting rights for Native Americans who owned property, 
which failed. He also gave generously from his personal wealth to offer 
support for the establishment of a legal commission. Finally, he was 
part of the delegation that brought the proposed constitution to the 
military governor, Bennett Riley, for final approval. After voters in 
California approved the new constitution and California was admitted to 
the United States as the 31st State, Vallejo was elected as a State 
senator.
  During his time in the State Senate, Mariano Vallejo led a number of 
initiatives to continue the work he had done at the State's 
constitutional convention. He sponsored an act which would have allowed 
better government for the Native American population, and he spoke 
strongly against a measure which would have excluded free Blacks from 
the State. He also led the effort to establish a tax to fund free 
schooling in California. Finally, he donated land for the State Capital 
to be established at the north end of the Bay Area. This area, now the 
city of Vallejo, was the site of the capitol from 1852-53, but was 
moved thereafter to Sacramento.
  After his departure from public life, Vallejo oversaw his remaining 
business ventures even as his lands were eaten away by claims from new 
settlers moving into the State. Later in his life he finally had the 
opportunity to travel to the eastern United States, where he saw 
Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Boston, satisfying a life-long desire 
to witness the birthplace of American democracy. His final contribution 
to California was a vast set of collected writings on Native Americans 
and californios, which is now in the collections of the University of 
California.
  Madam Speaker and colleagues, it is appropriate at this time that we 
recognize the remarkable life of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, and 
acknowledge the contributions he made to the establishment of statehood 
for California.

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