24 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



enforce his commands, the intruders kept posses- 

 sion of the ground until 1840, when they left of their 

 own accord. 



CHAPTER IV. 



FROM THE REVOLUTION TILL THE WAR BETWEEN THE 

 UNITED STATES AND MEXICO. 



Before the commencement of the struggle for inde- 

 pendence in Mexico, the missions in California were, 

 to some extent, fostered by the Spanish government,, 

 and. supplies were sent to them regularly. But when 

 the war began, the remittances were reduced, and the 

 establishments soon began to decay. After the over- 

 throw of the Spanish rule, in 1822, the territory of 

 California was divided into two portions. The penin- 

 sula was then called Lower California, and the whole 

 of the continental territory called Upper California. 

 When the Mexicans adopted a constitution, in 1824, 

 each of these territories became entitled to send one 

 representative to the National Congress. At the 

 same time, the adult Indians who could be considered 

 civilized, were declared citizens of the republic, and 

 had lands given to them. This, of course, freed them 

 from submission to the missionaries, who, thus deprived 

 of their authority, either returned to Spain or Mexico, 

 or took refuge in other lands. The Indians being 

 free from restraint, soon sank to a low depth of bar- 

 barism and vice. 



Immediately after the overthrow of the Spanish 



