History of California

California declared its independence from Mexico on June 14, 1846, and was briefly part of the United States (after Commodore Stockton landed at Monterey on July 7th). When Stockton left in January 1847, he appointed the American army captain, and renowned explorer, John C. Fremont as Governor. Fremont immediately began a covert plan to declare California independent once again, nominally a republic, but actually under his own rule. With a hard core of mercenaries and suborned troops, he ambushed and killed General Kearney (come from Washington to assume authority over the territory) in March of 1847, and declared the California Republic.

News of this treachery reached the United States in July; a force was to be sent for the suppression of Fremont's insurgents, but more pressing events in the Mexican War caused this expedition to be delayed until October. In February of 1848 the U.S. military expedition arrived at San Francisco after the long trip around South America, to find hardly a soul -- gold had been discovered in January, and every able man had left for the "diggings." Brigadier General Riley had to be satisfied with pulling down Fremont's "Bear Flag" in Portsmouth Square, and raising the Stars and Stripes again. Fremont wisely avoided the U.S. forces, and he (or his shadowy "advisers") began a clever campaign to advertise the vast riches available to one and all in the gold fields. Within several weeks, many of the U.S. soldiers had deserted (some being tempted by offers of high wages in the Californian army) and the American fleet sailed south to San Diego to prevent the loss of all of its sailors -- with a stop in Monterey to burn Fremont's "capitol."

During the spring of 1848, the California government was busily skimming profit from the mining operations, and by the time news came of the defeat of Mexico in the war, Fremont was ready. He had sent several small ships to Mexico, with emissaries and vast amounts of gold (estimated at $10 million). Astonishing amounts of bribery (mostly to Mexican government officials) went on at the peace talks; the result was independence for California as part of the peace treaty.

The United States refused to actually recognize Fremont's government until March of 1849, and there is still much resentment and suspicion of Fremont's actions. President Polk's handling of the war, and "loss" of California, were among the reasons for the Whig victory of Zachary Taylor in the 1848 elections. President Taylor himself was comfortable with the independence of California, as it allowed him to avoid trouble on the slavery issue (the admission of California as a state would have given the ‘free’ states a majority in the U.S. Senate). Subsequent administrations have tried to ignore the whole episode.

Conditions In California

California, as a nation, extends from the Mexican border in the south, to the Columbia River in the north, and eastwards into the Nevada desert. Relations with the Twenty Nations Confederacy and other Indian tribes have been almost cordial (except for the recent Modoc War). While slavery has never been legal in the California Republic, most of its early citizens immigrated during the Gold Rush from the American South (as the Twenty Nations made transcontinental wagon voyages nearly impossible), and California heavily favored the Confederacy during the Civil War. President Fremont himself favored the north; this rift between him and his "subjects" was one reason for the coup which resulted in the lunatic Joshua Norton being created Emperor of California in 1864.

Emperor Norton has established strong personal ties with the ruler of Mexico, Maximilian, who came to power in the same year. Given the support France has shown for their dependent Mexican emperor, and the hostility shown to the Union by Napoleon III during the Civil War, the United States has reason to believe California will not soon become part of the Union. It is also strongly suspected that several magical orders supported Fremont's presidency, and virtually control Norton's empire -- the Golden Mean and the Illuminati are most often named. Norton would not be the first insane monarch supported by the Illuminati. The discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859, and the completion of the Texas and Pacific Railroad in 1869 (through Mexican territory) have each contributed to the wealth of California’s plutocrats.

The famous writer and journalist Samuel Clemens visited California during the Fremont regime, but was asked to leave in 1860, and certainly has never shown an interest in becoming part of the current despotic and insane Imperial court.