The Californios:

The Californios were about a group of 3,200 Mexicans who were the early California settlers in the 1820s. The Californios were famous Vaqueros, or cowboys who took care of large herds of cattle and sheep and had an exclusive talent with horse riding and extreme hospitality. Many Californios wished to become an independent self-government taking the land of California as their settlement, because California was now under the control of the Mexican government. Due to the long distances between California and Mexico, the Californios felt little connection to their faraway government. Most of them were rich people who owned and created vast ranches as big as tens of thousands of acres of land. One of the most famous Californios was General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, he was born to influential rich family in Monterey, California. He joined the Mexican army after its independence from Spain, and he was then put in charge to increase settlement in California. He the became the richest man in California owning unbelievable amounts of land. In pursuit of bringing his dreams to reality, he welcomed American rule as he thought it would help California become an independent country. After California was taken away from Mexico, the general persuaded the Californios to join America. Vallejo then became an influential member of the state's Constitutional Convention, and was elected as a member of the first session of the State Senate in 1850. 



 

Vaqueros (cowboys) herding cattle

Map of California and Mexico in the 1820's

Video

Video which enriches viewers knowledge of how The Californios valued their horsemanship:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEflUWbi7KA

Timeline

 

1821: Mexico declares independence from Spain.

1822: Mexican authority extended into California.

1825: California joins the Mexican Republic.

1829: Mexico abolishes slavery.

1835: General Mariano Vallejo grants three Yankee sailors considerable land near Bodega Bay as a check against Russian expansion.

1836: The provincial legislature declares California independent from Mexico.

1845: Mexican Government forbids further American emigration to California. Americans who are not married to California women are asked to leave.

1846: The United States declares war on Mexico. (May 13)

1847: The Battle of Santa Clara. U.S. forces defeat the last Californio resistance in northern California. (January 2).

1848:

1. James Marshall discovers gold in the American River.
2. Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago ends the Mexican-American War. California becomes a territory of the United States.

Ideas of Westward Expansion

I believe that the Westward Expansion is perfectly right and that everyone has a right to expand their land. As a result of previous wars that mankind has expanded and created what we have today. It is humans nature to become greedy and want more land, money, and an abundance of luxurious items. The only way to receive such wants is to find it, or fight for it, and the Americans fought for more land.