Vallejo and Estanislao

In this essay, the author

• Argues that california's native people were pastoral pacifists who led an idyllic communal existence before the arrival of the spanish.
• Explains that the "tribal" names assigned to california's native groups result from modern ethnological investigation rather than being recognized by the natives themselves.
• Explains that california's native people actively resisted the imposition of the mission system from the start. in 1775, several neófitos—discontented with the franciscans’ rules and regulations—ran away from mission san diego.

• Argues that california's native people were pastoral pacifists who led an idyllic communal existence before the arrival of the spanish.
• Explains that the "tribal" names assigned to california's native groups result from modern ethnological investigation rather than being recognized by the natives themselves.
• Explains that california's native people actively resisted the imposition of the mission system from the start. in 1775, several neófitos—discontented with the franciscans’ rules and regulations—ran away from mission san diego.
• Explains that the neófitos focused on retribution aimed at individual franciscans.
• Explains that even when treated benignly, the neófito population grew discontent. malnutrition and foreign diseases brought by the spaniards led to many deaths.
• Explains that the runaways spread the distrust of the spanish to the non-missionized natives in the countryside.
• Describes how a neófito uprising occurred at three missions in santa barbara county. the rebels overthrew mission control and torched three-quarters of the mission’s buildings before fleeing to the countryside.
• Explains estanislao's story is illustrative of both the positive and negative impacts of the california mission-system.
• Describes how cucunuchi moved to mission san josé and was given the christian name estanislao. fray nàrcisco durán rewarded him with an appointment as a native alcaldé.
• Explains that indian alcaldés were appointed in the mission towns to maintain order. they wore shoes and stockings, which newly appointed officers dispensed with as often as possible.
• Describes estanislao's freedom to travel and interact with mexican citizens outside of mission san josé during partisan bickering and intense jealousy among leaders of alta california.
• Explains that echeanda, an early advocate for secularization of the missions, did not support the efforts of franciscans and belittled their work. estanislao observed that the natives had neither freedom nor justice.
• Describes how estanislao fled from mission san josé to the san joaqun valley with about four hundred followers. they raided mexican settlements and the properties of the missions at san jose, santa clara, and santa cruz.
• Describes how ygnacio martnez dispatched sergeant antonio soto into the san joaqun valley with a small troop to capture the rebels. estanislao’s men killed several soldiers and seriously wounded others.
• Describes how the governor sent a second company of forty men under the leadership of sergeant josé sánchez to punish the rebel yokut.
• Describes the early life of mariano guadalupe vallejo, a californio born in monterey. he grew up with young josé antonio castro and juan bautista valentn alvarado, who played significant political roles during the last years of mexican rule.
• Explains that vallejo was a young, inexperienced junior officer who entered military service in 1829 and was promoted to alférez (ensign). he had recently returned from his successful campaign to the tulares, where his troops had slain forty-eight natives.
• Describes how vallejo set out from mission san josé, crossing the diablo range at middle pass, and reached the san joaqun river on rafts. they camped and then proceeded down the east side of the river the next morning.
• Explains that the battleground was located on the north bank of the stanislaus river less than a half-mile upstream of its confluence with the san joaqun river, about twelve miles southeast of tracy.
• Describes how vallejo's forces used the cannon to attack the stockade walls of the compound, with limited success.
• Describes how vallejo entered the thicket, accompanied by thirty-seven men, but estanislao's band had taken advantage of the night and had fled.
• Describes how lieutenant vallejo and his forces followed estanislao upriver and surrounded the fugitives in another thicket. the besieged yokut declared they would die rather than surrender.
• Analyzes how vallejo and estanislao were accused of brutality and allowing their forces to commit atrocities during the battle.
• Explains that estanislao went briefly to mission san josé to ask fray durán for absolution for his men and himself. he returned to the stanislaus river and continued to lead his people.
• Explains that the mexicans enacted laws to control commerce with the mountain men, but to little effect. the yokut and miwok captured horses in raids on ranchos and missions.
• Explains that french-canadian fur trappers from the hudson's bay company inadvertently introduced malaria into the san joaqun valley. the epidemic caused a temporary decline in organized raids on mexican settlements.
• Explains estanislao left the valley on 24 august 1834 and returned to the mission san josé. he prospered there, teaching others the yokut language and culture, until his death on 31 july 1838.
• Explains that estanislao raids were sudden, usually involving a trap, and ended with no loss of life. he may have served as partial inspiration for the fictional character zorro, created in 1919 by pulp writer johnston mcculley.