William B. Ides – Wikipedia

William Brown Ide ( 28 mars 1796 – December 20, 1852 ) was a Californian pioneer and soldier, who was the leader of the Bear flag revolt Before becoming the President of the Brief Republic of California in June to July 1846 .

American American, he moved to California and lived in Red Bluff. He makes a fortune as a farmer and takes advantage of the gold rush to succeed in prospecting. Former soldier, he took advantage of the American-Mexican war to demand the end of the regional government of Haute-California. With his supporters, he storms the city of Sonoma him June 14, 1846 And proclaims the independence of California as a Republic.

After the American occupation, he remains in Red Bluff where he died in 1852 of the smallpox ^{[ first ]} .

He was the only president of the history of California.

William Ide was born in Rutland, Massachusetts, in 1796, son of Lemuel Ide, member of the legislature of the Republic of Vermont. Young, he is a carpenter by trade.

In 1820, he married Susan Haskell Grout (1799-1850) ^{[ 2 ]} And first lived in Massachusetts before settling west in Kentucky, then in Ohio, Illinois and finally in California.

IDE worked at Red Bluff, where he completed his income by teaching at school ^{[ 3 ]} .

Member of the Mormon church, he supported Joseph Smith’s candidacy before his departure for California ^{[ 4 ] , [ 5 ] , [ 6 ]} .

IDE and his family were the first Mormons known to enter California, and dotter the first Mormon head of state. In 1845, IDE sold his farm on the advice of the mountain man, Caleb Greenwood, and participated with a group of settlers, in the political and public life of Haute-Californie, where the government was disputed between Pio Pico and José Castro .

IDE then settled north to work to Peter LaSsen at Rancho Bosquejo. In 1846, after learning that the Mexican government threatened to expel all the colonists who were not Mexican citizens, and that the regional government went to be dissolved, around thirty settlers led what was going to become the Bear flag revolt .

Faced with the lack of results on the Mexican and American side, IDE supporters called for the insurrection against the regional government. These men then decided to seize Sonoma to prevent the regionalists from bringing together their troops towards San Francisco ^{[ 7 ]} .

With several weapons and military equipment stored near Sonoma, the group of insurgents, chaired by IDE, obtains negotiations with chief governor Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, successor to Pio Pico ^{[ 8 ] , [ 9 ]} .

The Governor accepts the organization of a popular vote regarding the maintenance or not of the regional government of Haute-California.

But this promise does not retain the separatists who, the June 14, 1846 , take the city of Sonoma, put an end to the regional government, and proclaim the Republic.

IDE supporters set up the new government and organize elections that confirms IDE in its functions as President of the Republic. The chief governor, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, was forced to lay down his arms and recognize the new republican regime.

The Mexican government, refusing to recognize independence, sent troops which rallied under the banner of the former chief governor, José Castro, who demands the governance and restoration of the semi-autonomous regional government.

In the midst of a American-mexic war, the regime is forced to choose its camp. Already in war against the Castro army, allied with the Mexicans, President IDE chooses to support the captain of the U.S. Army , John Charles Frémont, who waged war in the Mexicans.

But some members of the Republican government refuse to ally themselves with the Americans and a government crisis broke out within the presidential administration. The American president, James K. Polk, writes to President IDE and asks to involve the Republic of California in future negotiations after the end of the war. However, several members of the government who took part in the anti-American opposition, IDE is forced to give up negotiations and put an end to the agreement with the United States.

The American government then authorized the armies of Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, who defeated Mexicans, to cross the borders of California.

With a reduced and divided army, the Republic is quickly defeated and forced to negotiate during the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty.

After that, California is occupied and annexed.