Pablo Vicente de Solá facts for kids

Pablo Vicente de Solá (1761–1826) was an important Spanish officer. He was the twelfth and last Spanish colonial governor of Alta California from 1815 to 1822. He was born in a town called Mondragón in Spain.

Land Grants in California

As governor, Solá was in charge of giving out large areas of land. These were called "land grants." In 1821, he gave a huge piece of land, about 3,127 acres, to Bernardo Higuera and Cornelio López. This land was known as Rancho Rincon de los Bueyes. Today, this area is part of Los Angeles County, California. It includes places like Cheviot Hills and Rancho Park.

Governor Solá also explored many valleys in California. He was looking for good spots to build new Spanish missions. Missions were like settlements where Spanish priests lived and taught local people.

Here are some other important land grants Solá approved:

• Rancho La Puente
• Rancho El Conejo
• Rancho Los Tularcitos
• Rancho Bolsa del Potrero y Moro Cojo
• Rancho San Antonio (Peralta)
• Rancho Vega del Río del Pájaro

California Becomes Part of Mexico

Pablo Vicente de Solá was governor while California was under Spanish rule. But in 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain. This meant California would no longer be Spanish.

Even though some people in California didn't want Mexican rule, the change happened smoothly. Governor Solá himself oversaw the moment when the Spanish flag was taken down and the new Mexican flag was raised in 1822.

News traveled slowly back then. It took time for people in Alta California to hear about Mexico's victory. Later in 1822, Luis Antonio Argüello took over from Solá. Argüello became the first Mexican governor of California. He was also the first governor born in California!

During Solá's time as governor, one new mission was started. It was called Mission San Rafael Arcángel and was founded on December 14, 1817.

The Pirate Attack: Hippolyte Bouchard

In 1818, a famous pirate named Hippolyte Bouchard sailed towards California. He wanted to attack Spanish trading ships and towns. But the Spanish leaders already knew he was coming! On October 6, a ship called the Clarion warned them that two pirate ships were planning to attack the California coast.

Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá quickly ordered that all valuable items be moved out of Monterey. He also had two-thirds of the gunpowder from military forts taken away for safety.

On November 20, 1818, a lookout at Punta de Pinos spotted Bouchard's two ships. Governor Solá was told right away. The Spanish soldiers got their cannons ready along the coast. Women, children, and older men were sent to a safe mission inland, Soledad.

Bouchard and his officers planned their attack. They decided to use a smaller ship, the Santa Rosa, because their main ship, La Argentina, was too big for the shallow bay. On November 24, before the sun came up, Bouchard's men got into boats. There were 200 of them, armed with rifles and spears. They landed about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the fort in a hidden creek.

The fort fought back, but not very well. After about an hour of fighting, the Argentine flag (Bouchard was sailing for Argentina) was flying over the fort. The pirates stayed in the city for six days. They took cattle and burned down the fort, the army's main building, the governor's house, and other Spanish homes. Luckily, no residents were hurt.

Bouchard's California adventure ended on April 3, 1819. He then sailed to Valparaíso, Chile, to help another famous leader, José de San Martín, in his fight to free Perú.

Governor Solá's Character and Ideas

Governor Solá believed in new ideas, much like another governor before him, Borica. Solá thought education was very important. He even paid for some schoolteachers himself to help them teach.

He also helped a young man named Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo get a good education. Solá taught Vallejo about California politics. This knowledge helped Vallejo become an important leader in California later in his life.

See also

• In Spanish: Pablo Vicente de Solá para niños
• List of pre-statehood governors of California
• List of Ranchos of California