Manifest Destiny

I hope we don't forget that the first time the United States took Monterey, California, from the Latinos occurred on October 18, 1842. The frigate UNITED STATES, led by Thomas Jones, arrived off Monterey. Commodore Jones, under the mistaken impression that Mexico and the United States were at war, came ashore and announced that he was taking possession of the port in the name of his government. The stunned locals, under the guns of several American ships, signed the document that Jones produced. What followed was an unpleasant ceremony in which the Mexican flag was pulled down and replaced by the stars and stripes.

You might wonder why the name Jones is not as famous as the names of Fremont, Kearny, Sloat and Stockton. Here's the problem. The day after Jones captured Monterey, news arrived that Mexico and the United States were not at war. Jones took down the American flag and sailed away. The next try for California would come four years later when Fremont's forces, the famous Bear Flag volunteers, conquered the undefended town of Sonoma and arrested Mariano Vallejo, after he had fed them a delicious supper.