International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples toward 2021 California Admission Day

From 2021 World Indigenous Day to California Admission Day
Proposed Proclamations and Resolutions throughout California and beyond...

New York, Washington D.C. to California
United Nations Headquarters, United States Capitol and California State Capitol

U.S. President Polk sent Charles Frémont, a Captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, to prepare for the conquest of Alta California as a precursor to the US Mexican War that began May 12, 1846.

On June 10, 1846 along Cosumnes River at Martin Murphy's Corral, the Bear Flag Revolt began, the first recorded military action establishing the short lived California Republic.

United States forces invaded the Mexican province of Alta California and began the conquest of the vast Alta California region the established Manifest Destiny from sea to shinning sea.

The Peace Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, officially titled the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic, was signed on 2 February 1848, in the Villa de Guadalupe Hidalgo in Mexico City and ratified in May 19, 1848 in Mexico City.

Alta California remained under US Army and US Navy martial law during this period as the western movement exploded following the discovery of gold January 28, 1848 and Official announcement by President Polk December 5, 1848.

Beginning early 1849, the demand that California be admitted to the Union began. In 1849, leaders from around the future state were selected and met in Monterey to draft the California State Constitution, which was approved and a statewide election of "white men" only elected Peter Burnett Governor, and in December 1849 the California State Legislature met in San Jose beginning its first two-year session.

Most early California lawmakers, new to the land went about establishing the basic institutions of state governance. The United States Congress argued about whether to admit California to the Union as a slave or free state or as two separate states, one slave and one free. The issue was resolved by the famous Compromise of 1850, and on September 9th of that year California was admitted to the Union as the 31st state.

The observance of Admission Day was once prominent in the civic life of our state and nation. On September 9, 1924, by order of President Coolidge, the Bear Flag flew over the White House in honor of California’s admission to the Union. In 1976, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a measure to remove the observance of Admission Day as a state holiday, writing: “For 125 years California has celebrated its admission into the Union on September 9th. In 1984, Governor Deukmejian signed legislation eliminating our traditional observance of Admission Day on September 9th in favor of a “personal” holiday—convenient to some but in no way respectful of our storied founding.

California’s early history is neglected and California Admission Day is not taught to our over 6,000,000 students in over 10,500 schools, in over 1,000 school districts.

For that reason, we call upon all Californians to pause and celebrate Admission Day this year by reflecting on how California became the 31st state with top eye open to how Indigenous, Latino, Pan African, European, Asian and Pacific Islanders residents of the Great State of California may be impacted today.