General vallejo descendants

Historical Articles of Solano County

Saturday, April 19, 2003

Vallejo: the man who shaped California history

Nancy Dingler

Without a doubt, the single most influential person in California history was Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo.

Mariano was one of those rare individuals, in that he was born and educated in California. Mariano rose to great heights of power and wealth, only to lose it when his dream of being part of the democratic America came true.

In 1807, California was a far-off backwater frontier claimed by Spain.

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Born in Monterey, Mariano was baptized at the mission. The Spanish incursion into California was feeble and tenuous. Aside from the string of missions established by Father Junipero Serra and a few military garrisons or presidios, the country was devoid of European communities.

The land was wild, hilly and mountainous and the overwhelming population consisted of indigenous natives, many who had been subjugated and taken as slaves into the mission system and the