The Republic of

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

and Sonora or more simply known as the Republic of Sonora was a short-lived, unrecognized federal republic ruled by filibuster William Walker in 1854. It was based in

and also claimed (but never controlled) Sonora. Walker's exploits generated interest back in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

, where bonds for the Republic of Sonora were sold, and its flag was even raised in places. His enterprise, however, suffered from a lack of supplies and discontent from within; resistance by the Mexican government quickly forced Walker to retreat.

History

In the summer of 1853, an American adventurer and filibuster named William Walker traveled to

Guaymas Guaymas () is a city in Guaymas Municipality, in the southwest part of the state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. The city is south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and from the U.S. border. The municipality is located on the Gulf of Cali ...

seeking a grant from the government of Mexico to create a colony that would serve as a fortified frontier, protecting US soil from raids by Native Americans. Mexico refused, and Walker returned to San Francisco determined to obtain his colony anyway. He began recruiting American supporters of slavery and Manifest Destiny, mostly inhabitants of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

and Tennessee. His proposed buffer colony turned into plans to establish the independent Republic of Sonora as a part of the American Union, like the Republic of Texas. He funded his project by "selling scripts which were redeemable in lands of Sonora." On October 15, 1853, Walker set out with 45 men to invade and conquer the Mexican territories of

and Sonora. He succeeded in capturing La Paz, the capital of sparsely populated Baja California, and declared the Republic of Baja California, with himself as president and his partner, Henry P. Watkins, as vice president. He then put the region under the laws of the American state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

, where slavery remained legal in 1854. He declared independence from Mexico on January 10, 1854. Fearful of attacks by Mexico, Walker moved his position twice over the next three months, first to Cabo San Lucas, and then further north to Ensenada to maintain a more secure position of operations. He never gained control of Sonora but three months later, he pronounced Baja California part of a larger Republic of Sonora. Walker's exploits generated large amounts of interest back in San Francisco, where bonds for the Republic of Sonora were sold and its flag was even raised in places. However, Walker was never able to take advantage of his project's popularity. A serious lack of supplies, discontent within his party and an unexpectedly strong resistance by the Mexican government quickly forced Walker to retreat. Back in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, Walker was put on

trial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal ...

for conducting an illegal war. The judge indicated that Walker was guilty of violating the peace treaty agreed upon by the United States and Mexico after the Mexican–American War (1846–48). However, it was the era of Manifest Destiny, and, consequently, his filibustering project was popular in the southern and western United States. Because of this, the jury took only eight minutes to

acquit In common law jurisdictions, an acquittal certifies that the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as criminal law is concerned. The finality of an acquittal is dependent on the jurisdiction. In some countries, such as the ...

him.The Biography of William Walker.
About.com. Accessed March 11, 2012.

References

External links

San Francisco Museum

{{DEFAULTSORT:Republic Of Sonora States and territories established in 1853 States and territories disestablished in 1854 Separatism in Mexico Sonora Sonora Sonora, Republic of Former countries in North America History of Baja California History of Baja California Sur History of Sonora Independent Mexico 1853 establishments in Mexico 1854 disestablishments in Mexico

History

See also

References

External links