quantities of books of a scientific or miscellaneous nature; and the
reading of Fenelon's _Telemaque_ brought excommunication on a layman. As
for the intellectual development of the neophytes the mission system
accomplished nothing; save the care of their souls they received no
instruction, they were virtually slaves, and were trained into a fatal
dependence, so that once coercion was removed they relapsed at once into
barbarism. It cannot be said, however, that Anglo-Americans have done
much better for them.

The political upheavals in Spain and Mexico following 1808 made little
stir in this far-off province. Joseph was never recognized, and
allegiance was sworn to Ferdinand (1809). When revolution broke out in
Mexico (1811), California remained loyal, suffering much by the
cessation of supplies from Mexico, the resulting deficits falling as an
added burden upon the missions. The occupation of Monterey for a few
hours by a Buenos Aires privateer (1818) was the only incident of actual
war that California saw in all these years; and it, in truth, was a
ridiculous episode, fit introduction to the bloodless play-wars, soon to
be inaugurated in Californian politics. In 1820 the Spanish constitution
was duly sworn to in California, and in 1822 allegiance was given to
Mexico. Under the Mexican Federal constitution of 1824 Upper California,
first alone (it was made a distinct province in 1804) and then with
Lower California, received representation in the Mexican congress.

The following years before American occupation may be divided into two
periods of quite distinct interest. From about 1840 to 1848 foreign
relations are the centre of interest. From 1824 to 1840 there is a
complicated and not uninteresting movement of local politics and a
preparation for the future,--the missions fall, republicanism grows, the
sentiment of local patriotism becomes a political force, there is a
succession of sectional controversies and personal struggles among
provincial chiefs, an increase of foreign commerce, of foreign
immigration and of foreign influence.

The Franciscans were mostly Spaniards in blood and in sympathies. They
viewed with displeasure and foreboding the fall of Iturbide's empire and
the creation of the republic. They were not treasonable, but talked
much, refusing allegiance to the new government; and as they controlled
the resources of the colony and the good will of the Indians, they felt
their strength against the lo