José Matías Moreno II (1819–1869) was secretary of state under

Pío Pico Don (honorific), Don Pío de Jesús Pico IV (May 5, 1801 – September 11, 1894) was a California politician, ranchero, and entrepreneur, famous for serving as the List of governors of California before 1850, last governor of Alta California und ...

, the last Mexican governor of California; a Mexican patriot; and a major landowner in the

Valle de Guadalupe The Valle de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Valley) is an agricultural region in the Ensenada Municipality, Baja California, Mexico that produces an estimated 70 percent of Mexican wine. In recent years, it has become a popular tourist destination for wi ...

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Early life and education

José Matías Moreno II was one of eight children born in

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur, is a state in Mexico. It is the 31st and last state to be admitted, in 1974. It is also the second least populated Mexican state and the ninth-largest state by ...

to Dolores Ramírez Carillo and Joseph Mathew Brown, a British whaler who changed his name to José Matías Moreno, became a Mexican citizen, and converted to Catholicism. The latter died not long after his son José's birth in 1819. Dolores then married Tomás Altamirano, a San Antonio merchant, and settled in

Old Town, San Diego Old Town is a neighborhood in San Diego, California. It contains and is bounded by Interstate 8 on the north, Interstate 5 on the west, Mission Hills on the east and south. It is the oldest settled area in San Diego and is the site of the f ...

. Moreno did not immediately follow his mother and stepfather to San Diego but remained in Baja California Sur to study with Father Gabriel González, a Spanish-born Dominican priest. In 1842, he was involved in a rebellion that took place in

La Paz, Baja California Sur La Paz (, ) is the capital and largest city of the Mexico, Mexican States of Mexico, state of Baja California Sur, with a 2020 census population of 250,141 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the state. La Paz City is located in La ...

, part of an effort organized by González in opposition to a decree that opened the ex-mission lands to colonization by private individuals.

Mexican–American War (1846–1848)

In the 1840s, Moreno made his living as a merchant in San Diego and Los Angeles. By 1846, he was employed as provisional secretary of state of Alta California under the authority of Governor Pío Pico. He was both a civil servant and a military officer with the title ''Capitan de los Defensores de la Independencia National.'' Doña Felipa Osuna de Marrón, at that time living at

Mission San Luis Rey Mission San Luis Rey de Francia () is a former Spanish mission in San Luis Rey, a neighborhood in Oceanside, California. This Mission lent its name to the Luiseño tribe of Mission Indians. At its prime, Mission San Luis Rey's structures an ...

, recalled a visit by Moreno at the start of the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...

. He had come to tell her that her cousin, Pío Pico, was in hiding at Santa Margarita. When armed men showed up to arrest Moreno, she hid him by ordering him into bed with a rag around his head so that he appeared to be sick. The Americans searched the house but did not recognize him and soon left. Moreno joined Governor

in Mexico where they petitioned for arms, munitions, men, and money to defend Alta California. Towards the conclusion of the war in 1848, Pico returned to Los Angeles as a private citizen, but Moreno remained in Mexico. There, he raised a company of guerrilla soldiers to combat U.S. forces in Baja California. He was arrested after the

Skirmish of Todos Santos Skirmish of Todos Santos (March 30, 1848), was the last clash of the Mexican–American War and ended eighteen months of hostilities in Baja California. Raid on San Antonio Following the relief of the Siege of San José del Cabo, Colonel Hen ...

along with Father Gabriel González and many other prominent Mexican leaders. All were sent to Mazatlan where they remained prisoners until the singing of the

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on 2 February 1848 in the town of Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the defeat of its army and the fall of the cap ...

Marriage

After the war, Moreno returned to San Diego where he married Prudenciana Vallejo López (1833–1920) on November 4, 1851. She was the natural daughter of

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (July 4, 1807 – January 18, 1890) was a Californio general, statesman, and public figure. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of the Republic of Mexico, and shaped the tran ...

and Juana López. Her mother was descended from Ignacio López, a Catalan soldier who came to Alta California with the 1774 expedition of

Juan Bautista de Anza Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788) was a Novohispanic/Mexican expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire. He is credited as on ...

. The couple lived in Casa de López in

, where they maintained connections with many of the old

Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

families. José Matías Moreno's half-brother was José Antonio Altamirano who married Ysabel de Pedrorena and lived in the nearby Casa de Pedrorena de Altamirano. The couple would be separated for many years as war and business drew Moreno away from his wife and family. The result was an extensive correspondence now in the archives of

The Huntington Library The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens, known as The Huntington, is a collections-based educational and research institution established by Henry E. Huntington and Arabella Huntington in San Marino, California, United Stat ...

. In 1851, Moreno served briefly in a company of volunteers composed of San Diegans temporarily mustered into the U.S. Army to put down Antonio Garra's revolt against American settlers and government officials who encroached on Cupeño lands.

Business and politics

In the 1850s and 1860s, Moreno bought and sold land and invested in mining, lumber, and cattle ranching. Reputed to have influence with the regional Mexican government at La Paz, he “was sought after as an agent by U.S. businessmen who wished to invest in Baja California.” He frequently traveled to San Francisco, La Paz, Mazatlán, Guaymas, and Mexico City. During this time, his wife Prudenciana and their growing family lived in Old Town, San Diego. Money was tight as California lived in the shadow of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. Moreno often found that San Francisco “Yankees are very false in their dealings.” He was not happy in San Diego, either, where political unrest and racial animosities made the environment difficult. In 1863, he wrote, “I am ‘fed up’ with that town." In 1861, Moreno was appointed ''subjefe político de La Frontera'' (deputy military chief) and commissioned to protect the interests of the Mexican government. He and a garrison of troops made their headquarters at the Rancho ex-Misíon de Guadalupe where they worked to undermine filibusters, or unauthorized military expeditions that aimed to capture and annex Lower California. Moreno produced ''La relación estadística de los pueblos, ex-misiones y ranchos del Partido Norte de la Frontera de la Baja California'', an important source of information about the border region. He made political enemies by enforcing an 1853 law prohibiting foreigners from owning land within 60 miles of the border, among them

Juan Bandini Juan Bandini (1800 – November 4, 1859) was a Peruvian-born Californio public figure, politician, and ranchero. He is best known for his role in the development of San Diego in the mid-19th century. Early history Bandini was born in 1800 in Lima ...

, a Peruvian-born

. Bandini had supported the North Americans during the U.S.-Mexico War and was considered a traitor by the Mexican government. To prevent Bandini from supporting a U.S. filibuster attack, the government confiscated Rancho Tecate and Rancho Guadalupe which had been granted to Bandini by former governor

in a move of dubious legality. Moreno's loyalty to the Mexican government made it possible for him to purchase Bandini's former ranchos in

Tecate Tecate () is a city in Tecate Municipality, Baja California. It is across the Mexico–United States border, Mexico–US border from Tecate, California. As of 2019, the city had a population of 108,860 inhabitants, while the metropolitan area ha ...

and the

. He was also granted the salt concession at San Quintín and several mining sites. Moreno was a republican and a

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

who believed in freedom, equality, and human rights. During the

second French intervention in Mexico The second French intervention in Mexico (), also known as the Second Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867), was a military invasion of the Republic of Mexico by the French Empire of Napoleon III, purportedly to force the collection of Mexican de ...

(1861–67), a military invasion of the

Republic of Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

by the French Empire of

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...

, Moreno celebrated September 16, Mexico's Independence Day, by recalling the Don Miguel Hidalgo's

Cry of Dolores The Cry of Dolores () occurred in Dolores Hidalgo, Dolores, Mexico, on 16 September 1810, when Roman Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church bell and gave the pronunciamiento, call to arms that triggered the Mexican War of Indep ...

which triggered the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence (, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from the Spanish Empire. It was not a single, coherent event, but local and regional ...

. Moreno wrote, “Long Live Independence! Long live free America! Death to the tyrants and slavery! Death to the King!!!...The sentiment is more grand and sublime in these actual circumstances in which some traitor favored by the French despots wish to destroy our nationality, tearing down the Republic in order to place upon us a king.”

Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California

In 1858, in the wake of a mining boom in Baja California, the Mexican government sold what it described as ''terrines baldíos'' or "unoccupied" lands, including the Rancho ex-Misíon de Guadalupe in the fertile

located east of Ensenada. Ignoring the rights of indigenous people who lived in ''rancherías'' in the area, the government divided the valley into several large ranches: Ex-Misión de Guadalupe (), San Marcos or Huecos y Baldíos (), Santa Cruz (), San Antonio (), and El Tigre (). In 1863, Moreno secured a clear title to Rancho ex-Misíon de Guadalupe which included a ruined adobe house, 2,000 grape vines in poor condition, an orchard, and farmland. He purchased an additional 40,000 acres of land, including El Tigre and Valle de las Palmas. Having retired from his role as ''subjefe político'', he pursued ranching and farming. His wife and children left Old Town, San Diego, and joined him there.

Death and legacy

Moreno died of a stroke on November 30, 1869, at the age of 51 and was buried on the grounds of the Rancho ex-Misíon de Guadalupe. Reverend Antonio D. Ubach officiated at the burial. He left behind a contested legacy. Rufus K. Porter, the San Diego correspondent of the ''San Francisco Bulletin'', provided one viewpoint: “Don Matías…had more influence with the La Paz authorities than any other man outside the Territory, and was probably the cause of more bloodshed than any other man in California. While he remained safely in San Diego, and was generally respected here, his letters and emissaries were playing the very deuce among the Mexicans below the line. He was the cause of the murder of General Castro beyond a doubt, and his representations to the authorities at Mazatlán caused the defeat and flight of elicianoEsparza…” Porter added that Moreno's life “was an eventful one and his autobiography would be one of the most interesting of modern times, and I am inclined to the opinion that such a document exists among his papers.” Moreno was survived by his wife Prudenciana Vallejo López de Moreno and their children, only three of whom lived to maturity: José Matías Moreno II (1852–1902), Dolores Moreno López de Flower (1855–1903), and Mateo Rafael Moreno (1864–1930).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moreno, Jose Matias People of Alta California People from the colonial Southwestern United States 1830s in Alta California 1840s in Alta California Baja California Cultural history of California Hispanic and Latino American history of California Mexican people of the Mexican–American War Hispanic and Latino American politicians 19th-century Mexican people 19th century in Los Angeles 19th century in San Diego History of San Diego History of Baja California Baja California Ranchos Landowners from California Ranchers from California 19th-century American landowners 19th-century American businesspeople American politicians of Mexican descent 1819 births 1869 deaths