Republic of Baja California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Republic of Lower California
República de Baja California (Spanish)
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| November 3, 1853 – January 1854 | |||||||||
 Flag
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Mexico in 1853. The grey area shows Baja California. The red area is land bought by the US in 1854.
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| Status | Unrecognized state | ||||||||
| Capital | La Paz | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Baja Californian (Baja Californiano) | ||||||||
| Government | Republic | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
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• Established
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November 3 1853 | ||||||||
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• Disestablished
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January 21 1854 | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
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• Estimate
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8,000 (1853) | ||||||||
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The Republic of Lower California was a country that someone tried to create between 1853 and 1854. It was never officially recognized by other countries. An American adventurer named William Walker wanted to take over parts of Mexico. He first tried to invade Sonora, a Mexican state, but failed.
After that, in November 1853, Walker went to La Paz. This city was the capital of the Baja California territory. He captured the local leader there. Then, he announced that Baja California was now an independent country. He called it the "Republic of Lower California."
However, Walker never really controlled the area. Most people living there did not support him. The Mexican army and local citizens fought against him. One group was led by a person named Antonio María Meléndrez. Walker had to leave some areas, and his own soldiers started to leave him. He even tried to declare himself president of another "Republic of Sonora," which also wasn't real.
Eventually, Walker and his remaining soldiers had to give up. They surrendered to the US military. He was accused of breaking a rule about not attacking other countries. But a jury later said he was not guilty.
Contents
William Walker's Adventure
Who Was William Walker?
William Walker was an American doctor and adventurer. He moved to California during the gold rush. He had tried to take over the Mexican state of Sonora before. Some rich American business people supported his plans.
The Journey Begins
On October 17, 1853, Walker left California. He had 45 American soldiers with him. His first goal was to reach Guaymas in Sonora. He wanted to take control of that Mexican state.
However, Mexico was ready for invaders. A year before, they had stopped some French adventurers. Mexico had more soldiers and was prepared for a fight. This might have made Walker change his mind.
Taking Over La Paz
Walker decided to attack the Baja California peninsula first. He saw it as a step towards taking Sonora. His ship, the Caroline, arrived at Cabo San Lucas on October 28.
He then sailed to La Paz. This was the capital of Baja California. Five days later, he captured Rafael Espinosa, the political leader. Walker's soldiers took down the Mexican flag. They put up a new flag instead. This flag had three stripes: two red and one white in the middle. It also had two stars. These stars were meant to represent Baja California and Sonora.
On November 3, 1853, Walker's group announced that the peninsula was independent. They called it the Republic of Lower California. They even captured another Mexican leader, Colonel Juan Clímaco Rebolledo. He was coming to replace Espinosa, not knowing La Paz had been taken.
Moving North
Walker was waiting for more soldiers from California. But they were slow to arrive. So, he decided to move his main camp north. He wanted to be closer to the US border. This was also near the land route to Sonora, his main target. The US government had already shown interest in buying parts of northwestern Mexico.
In La Paz, there were some small fights. These were between local people and Walker's soldiers. Walker claimed these were big victories against the Mexican government. He said the Mexican government was unfair and weak.
Calling for Support
Walker set up his new headquarters in Ensenada. From there, he sent out a message to the American people. He asked for their help to defend the "independence" of Baja California. He had named himself president of this new country.
Many American volunteers answered his call. About 253 more adventurers joined him. They arrived in Ensenada on a boat called the Anita.
See also
In Spanish: República de Baja California para niños
- Baja California (disambiguation)
- Filibustering expeditions in Mexico
