Wandering Lizard

Biographical Notes

Juan Bautista Valentin Alvarado y Vallejo

In January 1833, Brigadier General Jose Figuero was appointed governor and commandante general of California. He was of mixed Spanish and Indian ancestry and quickly established himself as an effective and popular official. Relations with the missions was one of the most contentious issues facing the new governor. California's representative in the Mexican Congress, Juan Bandini, lobbied effectively for a bill ordering immediate secularization. In 1834 Alvarado was elected to the legislature as a delegate and appointed customs inspector in Monterey. Governor Figueroa granted Rancho El Sur (south of Monterey) to Alvarado on October 30, 1834. Alvarado built a house in Monterey that same year.

Governor Figueroa appointed Jose Castro senior member of the legislature and Lieutenant Colonel Nicolas Guterrez military commandante. Figueroa died in September 1835. In January 1836 Mexico City appointed Colonel Mariano Chico governor. Chico was unpopular among Californios and Alvarado, Vallejo and Castro considered staging a revolution. Chico having heard of a possible revolt decided to return to Mexico to obtain troops to better assert his authority. In Mexico he was reprimanded for having left California without authorization. Guterrez assumed the governorship, but was deposed in a matter of months.

Alvarado, then the senior member of the legislature, was the leader of the opposition to Guterrez. In November 1836 Alvarado and Castro (with Vallejo's political support) surrounded the presidio at Monterey and forced Guterrez to surrender power to them. Alvarado's revolt was assisted by a group of foreigners led by an America, Isaac Graham. In the aftermath of Guterrez's surrender, the American participants advocated independence for California, but Alvarado favored remaining a part of Mexico with increased autonomy for California.

Alvarado, aged twenty seven, was appointed governor and Castro was made president of the legislature. A militia was formed with Alvarado and Castro as colonels. The communities in the north voiced their support, but the city council of Los Angeles did not. Alvarado, Castro and Graham went south to deal with the situation. After three months of negotiations a compromise was worked out and civil war was avoided, but soon thereafter the San Diego city council voiced its disagreement with Alvarado's revolt. This time the Mexican Government was involved in the negotiations and rumors circulated that the Mexican army was organizing troops to march on California. Once again a compromise was worked out which left Alvarado as governor.

In spite of the earlier agreement, at the end of 1837 the Mexican Government appointed Carlos Antonio Carrillo governor. He was supported by many southerners and he took office in Los Angeles on December 6, 1837. Civil war broke out between north and south soon thereafter. After several battles Alvarado and Castro prevailed and Carrillo was forced to leave California. Mexico recognized Alvarado as governor and Vallejo was named comandante general. Alvarado's position as governor was finally stabilized and over the next four years he ruled California without significant dissension.

Alvarado married Dona Martina Castro on August 24, 1839 in Santa Clara. (Martina's ancestors included some of the settlers who had entered California in 1776 with Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza.) Unfortunately Alvarado did not make the wedding. One of his half brothers, Jose Estrada, served as his proxy. Alvarado claimed that he was held up in Monterey on official business, but rumor had it that he was on one of his epic drunks and unable to function. Following Martina's move to their Monterey home, Alvarado continued to see Raymunda in her house a few blocks away. He also continued to abuse alcohol.

The final stages of the mission secularization were still in progress and involved a number of scandals and injustices. Alvarado appointed his old tutor, William Hartnell, inspector of missions. Hartnell visited all of the missions and issued a report that resulted in a new set of regulations covering the secularization process. Unfortunately those in charge of the process did not cooperate and Hartnell resigned his office in disgust. Much of the former mission land was granted by Alvarado to various prominent Californio families. He did not however take any land for himself. In 1840 he did trade his Rancho El Sur to John Rogers Cooper for Rancho Bolsa del Potrero (subsequently sold back to Cooper). In 1841 he purchased Rancho El Alisal (near Salinas).

In April 1840 a report of a planned revolt against Alvarado by a group of foreigners led by Isaac Graham caused the governor to order their arrest and deportation to Mexico City for trial. In June 1841, after vigorous intervention by American and English representatives, Graham and eighteen others were found not guilty and ordered returned to Monterey. Also in 1841 a dispute arose between Vallejo and Alvarado over the relationship of the military and civilian authorities in California. Late that year the Russian America Company decided to abandon their position at Bodega Bay and Fort Ross. Vallejo tried unsuccessfully to interest Alvarado in purchasing the Russian improvements but the governor, fearing that the Mexican Government would not concur, demurred.

In 1841 England, France and the United States demonstrated considerable interest in California. Californios became increasingly worried about their intentions. An increasing number of American settlers were entering the country overland and political leaders in the United State were voicing the policy of Manifest Destiny. Vallejo was particularly concerned when Charles Wilkes was sent to California on a survey mission and insisted on exploring the Sacramento Valley both by river and overland. Vallejo conferred with Castro and Alvarado and recommended that Mexico send military reinforcements to enforce their military control of California.

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