HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 25 



authorities, the ports of California began to be the 

 resort of foreigners, principally whalers and traders 

 from the United States. The trade in which they 

 engaged, that of exchanging manufactured goods for 

 the provisions, hide and tallow furnished by the 

 natives, was at first irregular, but as it increased, it 

 became more systematic, and mercantile houses were 

 established in the principal ports. The Mexican 

 government became dissatisfied with this state of 

 things, and ordered the governor of Upper California 

 to enforce the laws which prohibited foreigners from 

 entering or residing in the territories of Mexico with 

 out a special permission from the authorities. Accord 

 ingly, in 1828, a number of American citizens were 

 seized at San Diego, and kept in confinement until 

 1830. In that year, an insurrection broke out, 

 headed by General Solis, and the captured Americans 

 were of some assistance in suppressing it, and, in con 

 sideration of their services, they were permitted to 

 leave the territory. 



The Mexican government strove to prevent the 

 evils expected to flow from the presence of numbers 

 of foreigners in California, by establishing colonies of 

 their own citizens in the territory. A number of 

 persons were sent out from Mexico, to settle on the 

 lands of the missions, but they never reached their 

 destination. The administration which originated the 

 scheme was overthrown, and the new authorities 

 ordered the settlers to be driven back to Mexico. In 

 1836, the federal system was abolished by the Mexi 

 can government, and a new constitution adopted, 

 which destroyed all state rights, and established a 

 central power. This was strenuously resisted in Cali 

 fornia. The people rose, and drove the Mexican 



