Californio (Hispano-Californian)

**Lo ferrer** · 09/02/2010

Californio (historic and regional Spanish for "Californian") is a term used to identify a Californian of Hispanic—and in some rare cases, of Portuguese, Brazilian, or other non-Hispanic Latin American—descent, regardless of race, during the period that California was part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain and Mexico.[citation needed] The territory of California was annexed in 1848 by the United States following the Mexican-American War.

Californios included the descendants of agricultural settlers and escort soldiers from Mexico. Most were of mixed backgrounds, usually Mestizo, contrary to popular media representations in books and films in the United States, such as the "Zorro" franchise. Few were of "pure" Spanish (Peninsular or Criollo) ancestry.[1] Spanish, and later, Mexican officials encouraged people from the northern and western provinces of Mexico, as well as people from other parts of Latin America, most notably Peru and Chile, to settle in California, and encouraged them to become Mexican citizens.

Much of Californio society lived in ranchos or agricultural settlements near the many missions, which were established in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. By the start of the nineteenth century, twenty-one missions under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church were located along the royal highway, El Camino Real. The Californio rancho society produced the largest cowhide and tallow business in North America, which provided exports for trading with merchant ships from Boston. Ships put in to San Diego, San Juan Capistrano, San Pedro, San Buenaventura (Ventura), Monterey and Yerba Buena (San Francisco).

More here.

**Mefistofeles** · 09/02/2010

Unicamente a modo de anecdota y curiosidad historica , decir que el nombre de "California" proviene del relato popular hispano, principalmente del relato caballeresco de finales del siglo XIV y siglo XV. En Amadis de Gaula "California" es una isla habitada por las californias (algo asi como las "amazonas") y es donde el caballero se dirige para vivir una de sus innumerables aventuras.

Es una tonteria, una simple curiosidad, pero bueno ya puestos......

Edit: I´m sorry, i didnt read that this subforum is for english speakers....sorry

**Irmão de Cá** · 09/02/2010

Iniciado por Lo ferrer

Californio (historic and regional Spanish for "Californian") is a term used to identify a Californian of Hispanic—and in some rare cases, of Portuguese, Brazilian, or other non-Hispanic Latin American—descent(...)

The usual lack of rigour to be expected of wiki: portuguese and brazilian are hispanic! Non-hispanic latin american countries should be considered the French Antilles, Haïti and the Québec, perhaps...

**Hyeronimus** · 09/02/2010

Iniciado por Mefistofeles

Unicamente a modo de anecdota y curiosidad historica , decir que el nombre de "California" proviene del relato popular hispano, principalmente del relato caballeresco de finales del siglo XIV y siglo XV. En Amadis de Gaula "California" es una isla habitada por las californias (algo asi como las "amazonas") y es donde el caballero se dirige para vivir una de sus innumerables aventuras.

Es una tonteria, una simple curiosidad, pero bueno ya puestos......

Edit: I´m sorry, i didnt read that this subforum is for english speakers....sorry

Don't worry, Mefistofeles, I'll fix it for you.

As a mere historical anecdote and curiosity, California's name comes form Spanish popular narrative, mainly a chivalry story from late 14th and early 15th centuries. In Amadis de Gaula, California is an island inhabited by the Californias, amazons of sorts, and the knight wends his way there to live one of his countless adventures.

**Lo ferrer** · 09/02/2010

Iniciado por Irmão de Cá

The usual lack of rigour to be expected of wiki: portuguese and brazilian are hispanic! Non-hispanic latin american countries should be considered the French Antilles, Haïti and the Québec, perhaps...

You're right Irmao, but that's not only a problem of Wikipedia, much of the Western Hemisphere is still debating wheter "Latino" and "Hispanic" are the same, if they are different, or if Latins should be just those that inhabited central Italy in the Antiquity... I wonder if sometime we could happily close that case.

"Algunos dicen que las designaciones de Iberia e Hispania son sinónimas, que los romanos han designado a la región entera (la península) indiferentemente con los nombres de Iberia e Hispania, y a a sus partes las han llamado ulterior y citerior."
Estrabón

**Lo ferrer** · 11/02/2010

LOS CALIFORNIOS

California became an easy target for America, because of Mexico's unstable government and policies. After the War of Independence of 1821, Mexico had severed all ties with Spain, and in dealing with their own problems back home, began to neglect California. The Californios lacked experience in government, however wanted to be independent and not be under control of a foreign power, like America. Pio Pico, the civil governor, controlled the northern part of the province that met in Los Angeles. Jose Castro, the military commandante, controlled the southern part of the province in Monterey. These two leaders had alot of animosity towards one another and began to raise armies to fight against one another, rather than uniting to fight against a foreign invasion.

On July 12, 1846 Pico with his army of one hundred soldiers met with Castro and his army just north of San Luis Obispo. The two leaders wanted to make an attempt at uniting their forces against the American Navy, who had just arrived in Monterey. This attempt failed and both armies marched separately to Los Angeles.

On August 7, Castro wrote Commodore Robert F. Stockton at his headquarters in Los Angeles, suggesting a willingness to end hostilities. Stockton in his reply said that a treaty could be made only on the condition that Castro raise the American flag over Los Angeles. Castro refused Stockton's proposal and evacuated Los Angeles the same day.

On August 10, Pio Pico decided, after the evacuation of Castro, to leave with his army back to Mexico. Before he left he told the Californios that the Mexican Army was "...completely lacking in all resources to carry on a war." He also pled with the people to not give in to America's promises for freedom and wealth.

Los Angeles was handed over to America with no opposition, following the departure of Castro and Pico, however lack of opposition to America did not last long for the Californios. Stockton had made Captain Archibald Gillespie the military commandant of Los Angeles and Gillespie's strict, harsh, nature did not sit well with the Californios. On September 30, a large group of Californios surrounded Gillespie and his men in the pueblo, and forced the army to retreat to San Pedro.

After their successful victory in Los Angeles the Californios elected Jose Maria Flores, a lieutenant-colonel, Jose Antonio Carrillo, a native Californian who served under Castro, and Andres Pico, a former lieutenant, as their leaders of their newly formed army. With these new leaders, especially the leadership of Andres Pico, the Californios united, trained, and became a real threat to America's Manifest Destiny.

By November, 1846, the Californios had gained back control of all the territory south of San Francisco, leaving America in control of just San Diego and Monterey. The Californios had many advantages over America that contributed to their victory at the Battle of San Pasqual on December 5. The Californios, for nearly two months, had harassed the Americans, and made very difficult for them to acquire livestock and supplies. The Californios were also fighting on their homeland, which made it easier for them to acquire their necessary supplies. Above all, the Californios were extremely skilled horseman and lancers, which made it very difficult for the weakened American soldiers to fight back. The Californios, in combination with their skills, also had courage and pride, which allowed them to fight and defend their homeland with everything in them.

1. Painting of a Californio, by Charles Waterhouse, courtesy of MCRD Command Museum, San Diego
2. Picture of Stockton, from The Life of the Late Rear-Admiral John Drake Sloat, by Edwin A. Sherman
3. Picture of Andres Pico, from The Life of the Late Rear-Admiral John Drake Sloat, by Edwin A. Sherman

Source: html> <title>Californios.html

**benitogarcia** · 11/02/2010

Edited: Please, keep the main topic of the thread.

**Hyeronimus** · 11/02/2010

What has this liberal propaganda and the US constitution have to do with the subject we're talking about here?

**Irmão de Cá** · 12/02/2010

I second Hyeronimus... you're way out of line here, Benitogarcia! To hell with the liberal and masonic yankee republic! To hell with each and every republic!
To hell with the joined, connected - in a word - globalized world upheld in this post of yours!