The Conquest of California, also known as the Conquest of Alta California or the California Campaign, was an important military campaign of the Mexican–American War carried out by the United States in Alta California, then a part of Mexico. The conquest lasted from 1846 into 1847, until military leaders from both the Californios and Americans signed the Treaty of Cahuenga, which ended the conflict in California.
Image: Battle of Río San Gabriel
Image: San Pasqual
General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo reviewing his troops in Sonoma, 1846
The Bear Flag of California, first raised during the Bear Flag Revolt
California is a state in the Western United States, lying on the American Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With over 38.9 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous U.S. state, the third-largest U.S. state by area, and the most populated subnational entity in North America.
Junípero Serra conducting the first Mass in Monterey Bay in 1770
The Spanish founded Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1776, the third to be established of California's missions.
General Mariano G. Vallejo reviewing his troops in the Sonoma Plaza, 1846
The 1846 Bear Flag Revolt declared the California Republic and prefaced the American conquest of California.