The original Bear Flag and the republic it symbolized had a brief career, from about June 14 until July 9.

Two days later, on July 9, 1846, Navy Lieutenant Joseph Warren Revere arrived in Sonoma and hauled down the Bear Flag, running up in its place the Stars and Stripes. The Bear Flag was given to young John E. Montgomery (son of Commander John B. Montgomery of ), who would later write in a letter to his mother "Cuffy came down growling"—"Cuffy" being his nickname for the bear on the flag.

The Bear Flag given to young Montgomery returned with USS Portsmouth to the east coast of the U.S. in 1848, but in 1855 was returned to California. According to the New-York Daily Tribune, a facsimile likeness of the flag was sent to the Fremont Club of Northampton, Massachusetts in 1856 by the society to show support for John C. Fremont during the presidential election.

Today, a replica hangs on display in the Sonoma Barracks, or El Presidio de Sonoma. There is also a statue in the plaza at Sonoma, California, commemorating the raising of the flag, the Bear Flag Monument.thumb|Depiction of a standing bear used during the revolt

Other Bear Flags

There are many accounts of other bear flags being made during the revolt. Most of the accounts were made years afters the revolt.

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File:Early California Republic flag.png|An early Republic flag, per description

File:The Sonoma Bear flag.jpg|Etching of a Bear flag flown in Sonoma in 1846

File:Bear Flag Guidon, California.jpg|"The Bear Flag Guidon". Carried by the California Battalion

File:Bancroft Bear flag.png|The Bear Flag as described by Hubert Howe Bancroft

File:Black California Bear Flag.png|The Bear Flag as described by the Sacramento Daily Union

File:The People Right's Bear Flag, California.png|The Bear Flag as described by the Sacramento Transcript

File:Porterfield's Bear Flag, California.png|The Bear Flag according to Porterfield's account

File:Lindsay's Bear Flag, California.png|The Bear Flag according to Lindsay's account

File:Alexander's Bear Flag, California.png|The Bear Flag according to Alexander Todd's account

File:Bradshaw's Bear flag, California.png|The Bear Flag according to Bradshaw's account (the biggest Bear Flag made during the revolt, measuring ca wide and long)

File:The Bettmann Achieve Bear Flag (1846).png|The Bear Flag as described in the Bettmann Archive

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A year after the revolt American settlers in Sacramento Valley wanted to celebrate the 4th of July by raising a national flag. The party did not have one, so they started gathering material to make an improvised American flag. It was described as: "...small square of heavy cloth, light blue in color, upon which is pasted a white paper star of eight points, while a piece of paper is pasted along the top bar with the following motto written upon it: " California is ours as long as the stars remain."

1850s

[[File:Flag of California (1850).png|thumb|Digital reconstruction of California's first state flag, (based off description)

On September 9, 1850, San Franciscans celebrated California's admission to the union with a parade. From the flagpole in Portsmouth Square they flew an American flag with one large star that represented the state. Another flag flown to celebrated California's statehood was the first state flag. The flag contained the state seal in the center of its field, with it being painted by William Henry Powell. The whole thing measuring at wide and long.

From 1850-1858 people across the country started flying the American flags with their 31 stars arranged in the "Grand Luminary" pattern. This is when the stars in the canton are arranged to make one big star. also one raised in Marysville but with the names: "Fremont and Dayton," on it.<gallery>

File:California Statehood flag (1850).png|Streamer flown by the Oregon, 1850

File:California. Lone Star Flag, San Francisco admission day flag 1850.png|Digital remake of the "Lone Star" flag flown on admission day in San Francisco

File:31 star American flag.png|Digital remake of an American flag with a Grand Luminary star pattern and 14 stripes, it flew on admission day

File:Califronia 31 star flag.png|Digital reconstruction of the flag carried by Californios in San Francisco during the admission day parade. Based on a written description

File:American Flag with Red and Yellow stripes, California.png|Digital reconstruction of a unique 31 star American flag with red & yellow stripes, 1851

File:Lone star Californian flag, July 4, 1852, Plumas County, California.png|Digital reconstruction of the "Lone Star" flag flown in Plumas County on July 4, 1852. It was described by Louise Clappe

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The Civil War period

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File:1860 Republican National Convention flag.png|Flag used by California's delegates at the 1860 Republican National Convention

File:Lincoln's California campaign flag (c1860-1861).png|Digital reconstruction of the flag carried by California delegates during Lincoln’s inauguration, 1861 (based on description)

File:Confederate bear flag.png|Digital reconstruction of bear flag flown by secessionists In Los Angeles, 1861 (based on description)

File:California's Montgomery Guard's (Militia) flag, 1861.png|Digital reconstruction of and American flag with a unique star pattern. The gold star in the center stands for California, 1861 (based on description)

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During the secession crisis and the early part of the American Civil War in 1861, California was divided between supporters of the union and supporters of southern secession. In the months leading up to the war, some opposed to the government in Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County showed support for secession by flying variants of the Bear Flag instead of the Stars and Stripes. One version of the Bear Flag that was flown on May 29 in Los Angeles was described as "...a deep red flag with a black bear painted on it." Duncan Beaumont raised a Pacific Republic flag from his boat in the Stockton to show his loyalty to secession. A party of men raised a banner containing a small American flag in the top corner and in the center a huge eagle with a grizzly bear below it. It was cut down by a different group of loyal unionists later in the day. The group thought it was a sign of disunion, but the day after they raised it in a different part of town to show their support for the Union. Soon secessionist across the state started raising other flags to express their sympathy for the Confederacy. These include: Palmetto flags, 7 stars flags, Stars and Bars, Not to be outdone, Unionists raised several flags to show support for the United States. The flags were the Stars and stripes (sometimes with patriotic mottos), Union club flags, Militia flags, German flags, and Irish flags.

During the war, Union soldiers routinely took action against secessionists who ran up Confederate flags in many places, including above the California statehouse in Sacramento, then disappeared before they could be caught. Unionist Jack Biderman denounced Gillis, tore the flag from his hands, and taunted secessionists to try to take the flag back. No one tried. Because Gillis' flag was seized by Jack Biderman, it is referred to either as the "Biderman Flag" or the "Gillis Flag." The flag is preserved in the state capitol.

The state's regimental flags were outline by Adjutant General William Chauncey Kibbe in special order, No. 2:

thumb|Digital reconstruction of the state flag flown in the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay area in 1864 from newspaper accounts A year later a banner of similar design was hung in the city, but the seal was encircled by small American flags.

1870s–1910s

The flags and banners used to represent the state from late the 19th century and early 20th either bore the state seal or a bear. The flags containing the state seal were mostly used by state officials, like delegates and the National Guard, while the Bear flag was popular with the public and fraternal organizations. With none of the flags ever being officially adopted, but there was a mention a state flag in a 1879 National guard law. It took a couple of years for the flag to be sent to National Capitol. It was later displayed in the Smithsonian in 1888. They were describe as:

thumb|Digital reconstruction of the American flag made by Joseph Neuman for the state capitol

thumb|Swallowtail-Bear Flag flown in San Francisco, 1890

The Bear Flag flown throughout the 1870s was usually a brown bear on a plain white field with no star or stripe. The flag was used by the Native Sons of the Golden West and other pioneer organizations. Sometimes it was given as a trophy for boat races or used as a commodore flag. In 1885 the Bear Flag was first officially used to represent state during the Southern Exposition, it had the state's name in the center. Another Bear Flag was produced for the 1889 Paris Exposition and was later displayed in World WCTU Convention in 1891. It again flew during the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. California's National Guard carried regimental flags with the state seal on them, from 1879 until 1907.

During the 1888 Democratic National Convention delegates from California flew a state banner. It was described as "...large white banner of silk, fringed with gold. The seal of the State occupies the central space, while in each corner is a typical California scene..."

thumb|Etching of the Bear Flag flown in San Jose, 1894 |leftIn 1890 the Admission Day Celebration was being held in San Francisco, with 3 unique flags flown to represent the state. The designs were: "...Two vaqueros lassoing a grizzly bear, the peaks of Mount Shasta showing in the distance....Great seal of California...The north star, with grizzly bear In foreground..." Two years later a Bear Flag was hung in Los Angeles that was similar to the modern state flag. On June 14, 1896 Sonoma was celebrating 50th Anniversary of the Bear Flag Revolt. The town decided to raised a duplicate of the original Bear Flag, which is still in the Sonoma Barracks.

thumb|Flag carried during the Spanish-American War

left|thumb|State flag on the right and a banner containing the state seal on the left, New York City 1912

When Spanish-American War started California troops carried two flags, one had a blue field with the state seal in the center and the name of the regiment below. The other was an American flag with name of the regiment in the stripes. In September of 1900, Santa Cruz was getting ready to hold the Republican State Convention. The whole town was patriotically decorated and in the center of the city's armory was a purple banner with the states coat of arms in the center.

During the 1904 Republican National Convention, California delegates carried a banner bearing vertical stripes of purple, white and gold. On top was a white space with the inscription "CALIFORNIA." In the center was a representation of "...industrial California..." and a bear eating grapes. While the backside had a painting of the Sierra Nevada with a river cutting though it. In 1908, the State Republican Convention was being held in Oakland, during the introductory speeches a group of Suffragist in stormed in demanding the right to vote. They carried with them a large blue flag with the state seal embroidered in gold.

In 1909 the USS California was given two flags, one was a Bear Flag and other had the state seal on it. Three years later the last state flag to contain the state seal was carried in a women suffrage parade in New York City. In 1933, the city of Santa Rosa held a parade celebrating the 83rd anniversary of California being admitted to the union. During the party unique Bear Flag was flown, it had plain red field with a golden bear in the center.

Flag of the governor

thumb|left|The flag of the governor of California

The flag of the governor of California consists of the seal of California centered on a field of azure. Like many other U.S. governors' flags, there are four five-point stars at the corners of the field.

The flag of California serves as a basis for the flag of the fictional New California Republic in the popular post-apocalyptic Fallout video-gaming franchise.

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Flag of the New California Republic.svg|Flag of the New California Republic

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==See also==<!-- EDITORS NOTE: This section should primarily contain lists linked to the main article which are directly related to the flag. Thank you. -->

  • List of California state symbols
  • List of flags by design
  • List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insignia

References

Further reading

  • Hubert H. Bancroft's History of California, Vol. V. 1846-1848
  • Creation of the Bear Flag.
  • Flags of the World: California
  • The Bear Flag Museum
  • William Todd Quote on Bear Flag construction