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Title
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The Mexican American War (1846-1848)
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Description
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Many Anglo Americans who settled in Mexican California chose not to become Mexican citizens, siding with the movement to incorporate California into the United States under forces led by John C. Fremont. Canadian immigrant Thomas Fallon joined Fremont’s third expedition to California and settled in Villa Branciforte (Santa Cruz). He then declared himself “captain” and crossed the Santa Cruz Mountains with the purpose of taking Pueblo San José, rejoining Fremont’s forces and raising the American flag over the juzgado (the Mexican city hall and jail). He later became mayor of San José in 1859, during the American period.
The tensions that arose during the war served as an indicator of the future demise of the Mexican Californios under American rule. During the Mexican American War (1846-1848), the only battle fought in Northern California took place in Santa Clara County. “The Battle of Santa Clara” or “The Battle of the Mustard Stalks” took place in a mustard field near today's Triton Museum. American sailors, who came ashore to buy supplies from the Mexicans, were taken hostage. The battle lasted only two hours and resulted in the death of four Mexican soldiers. The battle, ironically, impacted James Reed of the ill-fated Donner party. Reed was in the area trying to recruit a rescue team for his trapped comrades in the Sierras but was unsuccessful during wartime. In 1846, the San José-based Berryessa family fell victim to Anglo-American hostilities. José de los Reyes Beryessa and his twin sons were murdered by the California Battalion, who stole their horses. The Mexican American War ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
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Scholar Talk
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https://vimeo.com/811460873/fb42898de0?share=copy
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Identifier
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B4SV Exhibit Topic One: Slide 009
