Reply to comment

THE COMING OF THE AMERICANS TO THE INLAND EMPIRE

Submitted by Ghostpainter on Sun, 09/28/2008 - 9:54am

Mexican forced labor and violence at the hands of the militia and paramilitary slave hunting parties account for a significant amount of the population decline suffered by California Indians. On the eve of the American take-over the Indian population of approximately 310,000 had been reduced to about 150,000.

This gut wrenching 50% decline had occurred in just 77 years. The implications for the survivors was largely a tale of suffering and grieving over the loss of a stunning number of children, parents and elders. What came next was worse still.

Alta California, which also included Arizona, Nevada, southern parts of Utah and New Mexico and the northern part of Baja California and north into Oregon, was poorly managed and its citizens badly neglected by Mexico City. The entire area was rapidly overwhelmed by a combination of aggressive Indian raids and the arrival of United States Army, Navy and Marine forces in the summer of 1846. Despite a seemingly irrational murderous attack on Sacramento River Maidu Indian villages by U.S. Army forces under the command of John C. Fremont, the majority of California Indians

 chose to change sides and join with the Americans and became scouts, warrior-soldiers and wranglers in the fight to wrest California from Mexico's control.

When Mexican resistance collapsed in January of 1847, Indian Affair were administered by a succession of both American military governors and Mexican landowners. Stock raiding Indians in southern California interior valleys, namely the Inland Empire mountains and deserts started raiding and killing when they learned that Indian slavers such as Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo and Johann A. Sutter had been appointed as Indian sub-agents.

The Military governments policy was to suppress stock raiding and furthermore imposed severe restrictions on the free movement of the Indians.

Almost all Indians were required to carry special id identifying them as free Indians and entitled to work and travel. In some regards it can be said that many Indians lives improved with the arrival of the Americans. but there was still trouble ahead.

 

Gary Hall the ghostpainter

Reply

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <em> <i> <strong> <font> <object> <center> <span> <style> <span style> <cite> <embed> <div> <h2> <h3> <h4> <h5> <h6> <map> <area> <a> <hr> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img> <br> <br /> <table> <tr> <td> <u> <del> <ins> <sub> <sup> <blockquote> <pre> <strike> <caption> <p> <param>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

More information about formatting options