CALIFORNIA
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The first
European to explore the California coast was the Portuguese explorer and
adventurer João Rodrigues Cabrilho. Cabrillo was
commissioned by the Viceroy of New Spain and in 1542 he sailed into what is
now San Diego, California. He continued north as far as Pt. Reyes, California. In 1602, the
Spaniard Sebastián Vizcaíno explored California's
coastline from San Diego as far north as Monterey Bay. He named San Diego Bay
and also put ashore in Monterey, The Spanish
divided California into two parts, Baja California and Alta California, as
provinces of New Spain (Mexico). The eastern and northern boundaries of Alta
California were very indefinite, as the Spanish did not occupy most of it for
over 200 years after first claiming it. The first
permanent mission in Baja California, Misión de Nuestra Señora de
Loreto Conchó, was founded on October 15, 1697, by Jesuit Friar Juan Maria Salvatierra (1648–1717). After
the establishment of missions in Alta California after 1769, the Spanish
treated Baja California and Alta California as a single administrative unit,
part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, with Monterey, California, as its
capital. In 1821, Mexico
gained its independence from Spain, and Alta California became one of the
three interior provinces in the First Mexican Empire north of the Rio Grande,
along with Texas and New Mexico. Hostilities
between the U.S. and Mexico were inspired by the Battle of the Alamo in February-March
1846. Several actual battles between U.S. and Mexican troops over the next
few months led the United States Congress to issue a declaration of war
against Mexico on May 13, 1846; the Mexican-American War had begun. The Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo formally ended the war in February 1848. The new state of
Texas's boundary claims were settled, and New Mexico, California, and the
unsettled territory of several future states of the American Southwest were
added to U.S. control. The California
Constitution was ratified by popular vote at an election held on 13 November
1849 (as specified in Article 12 Sec. 8). The Pueblo de San Jose was chosen
as the first state capitol (Article XI Sec. 1). Soon after the election they
set up a provisional state government that set up the counties, elected a
governor, senators, and representatives, and operated for ten months setting
up a state government before California was given official statehood by
Congress on 9 September 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850 |
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As a part of
the Spanish Empire and the vice-kingdom of New Spain the emblems of the king
of Spain, being the king of Castile and Leon
and the Spanish Indies
were also valid in (spanish) California.
It is said that
the first viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza (1535-’50) granted a coat of
arms to Cabrilho or to the Californias but no references about these arms are
currently available. A reconstruction shows:
Arms: Per pale Gules and Or, a scallop (of S. James) Argent, within a bordure
Azure, four fishes Argent. These arms are
the arms of present Baja California Sur now. Because of the
missions of the Jesuits in the Californias the arms of the order may have been seen there:
Arms of the Societas Jesu, 17th century [1] The arms are: Arms: Azure, a sun
rayonnant Or the cypher IHS and the nails of the crucifixion in base Sable. Crest: An Agnus Dei
couchant proper. In the time of Mexican
rule the national emblem of the Mexican Empire and of the Republic were
valid in California and the Cabrilho arms were abandoned because the national
emblem had to be used by all national authorities.
The Great Seal of
California was adopted
at the California state Constitutional Convention of 1849 and has undergone
minor design changes since then, the last being the standardization of the
seal in 1937. The seal features the Roman goddess Minerva, the goddess of
wisdom and war; a California grizzly bear (Ursus arctos ssp - Ursidæ) feeding on grape vines,
representing California's wine production; a sheaf of grain, representing agriculture;
a miner, representing the California Gold Rush and the mining industry; and
sailing ships, representing the state's economic power. Above is the phrase
"Eureka," meaning "I
have found it!" (εύρηκα in Greek). When the Constitutional Convention met in Monterey
in 1849, the question of designing the Great Seal was agitated, and some time
later a drawing was submitted. The original design of the seal was by U.S. Army Major Robert S. Garnett and engraved by Albert
Kuner. However, because of the friction then in existence between the
military and civil authorities, Garnett was unwilling to introduce the design
to the constitutional convention, so convention clerk Caleb Lyon
introduced it as his own design, with Garnett's approval. The seal represented the figure of Minerva, with the
Golden Gate, and a ship in full sail in the foreground and the Sierra Nevada
range in the background, with the word “Eureka” above. The design was
referred to a committee, and on September 29, 1849, the report of the
comminttee was considered by the Convention. After various amendments had
been suggested, the matter was laid on the table. On October 2 the report of
the committee was again considered, and adopted. This design was also adopted
as the arms of the State of California.
Seal of 1849 The designer’s description of the seal reads: “Around the bevel of the ring are represented
thirty-one stars, being the number of the States of which the Union will
consist, upon the admission of California. The foreground figure represents the
goddess Minerva having sprung full-grown from the brain of Jupiter She is
introduced as a type of the political birth of the State of California,
without having gone through the probation of a Territory. At her feet
crouches a grisly bear, feeding upon clusters from a grape vine, which, with
the sheaf of wheat, are emblematic of the peculiar characteristics of the
country. A miner is engaged at work, with a rocker and bowl at his side,
illustrating the golden wealth of the Sacramento, upon whose waters are seen
shipping, typical of commercial greatness; and the snow-clad peaks of the
Sierra Nevada make up the back-ground. Above, is the Greek motto
"Eureka," (I have found it,) applying either to the principle
involved in the admission of the State, or the success of the miners at work.
[2]
Seal of 1858 In 1858 the State seal was damaged so that it failed
to give a true impresson, and an bill was introduced in the Senate to
authorize the Secretary of State to procure a new seal, to be engraved on
steel, and to be substituted for and used instead of the seal then in
existence; and requiring him to destroy the then State seal in the presence
of the Governor and Controller. The bill was accompanied with a design which
reduced the size of the seal a twelfth part of an inch, and to admit of this
contraction some of the details of the original design were omitted.The bear
was made to crouch sumissively at the feet of Minerva, the miner’s cradle was
left out, and the miner was brought nearer the water. On March 10, 1858, the
Senate amended the bill providing that the design and size should be the same
as in the then seal; and on April 16
another amendment was adopted, that “the design of the present seal shall be
presented intact in the new one, but the size thereof shall be reduced
six-tenth of an inch, so that the new seal, when completed, shall be three
and three-tenth of an inch in diameter.” The bill with this amendment passed
the Senate on the 31st, but it was not consIdered in the House. [3] |
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After 1858 a large
number of incorrect details occured in the reproductions in print, painting
and sculpture of the seal. In particular the number of stars varied
considerably from seven to 32 over the years. Therefore in 1928 state printer
Carroll H. Smith was authorized to prepare a new and correct seal. This seal
was drawn by Los Angeles heraldic artist Marc J. Rowe who, among other
corrections, narrowed the growing break in the mountains so that it appeared
to be the Sacramento River, "fringed by snow-capped Sierra, and not an
arm of San Francisco Bay, as the old seal made it appear". His design
was not adopted as the official seal, although it was used by the State
Printing Office. In 1937 standardization came about when state employees,
wishing to print the seal on blotters for the State Fair, could not find any
official design of the seal. This prompted a new law, which "established
for the first time a definite pictured design with which the master die was
'substantially' to conform, and at the same time established the legality of
all previous seals which were essentially the same as this one." The law, illustrated with a drawing of the seal,
reads: |
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This version is the version of the seal in use until
present. Nowadays it is often depicted in full color. Æ See
illustration in the head of this essay
Seal of the Senate adopted 19?? |
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Police |
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The California State Police has its origins in the
Legislative action of 1853. At the state capitol in Stockton, California the state
legislature voted to raise a Ranger Unit to chase down and capture Joaquin
Murietta. Capt. Harry Love was commissioned to raise a company of Rangers.
Thus begun the legend of the California Rangers and the foundation was laid
for the formation of the California State Police. On March 15, 1887 the CSP
was officially formed. The State Police was reorganised several times during
it's history and it has had several different badge and patch styles up to
its demise. July 12, 1995 the CSP was merged with the CHP (California Highway
Patrol). [4] |
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Badge Ranger Unit |
Badge, ancient |
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Sleeve patch
ancient |
Sleeve patch new |
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Crest
Description That for
regiments and separate battalions of the California Army National Guard: From
a wreath of colors, the setting sun behind a grizzly bear passant on a grassy
field all Proper. Symbolism California
is the Sunset State, the Golden Gate Commonwealth. The grizzly bear was on
the flag of the California Republic. As the original settlement within the
State was of Spanish origin, the twists of the wreath are yellow and red. Background The crest was approved for the color bearing organizations of the National Guard for the State of California on 5 January 1924. It was amended to change the blazon on 19 January 1926. |
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Distinctive Unit Insignia
Description On a
hexagon Azure one side up, the crest of the California Army National Guard
Proper. The overall width is 1 1/8 inches (2.86 cm). Symbolism California
is the Sunset State, the Golden Gate Commonwealth. The grizzly bear was
on the flag of the California Republic. As the original settlement
within the State was of Spanish origin, the twists of the wreath are yellow
and red. Background The
distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for the State Staff and
State Detachment, California National Guard on 25 January 1936. It was
redesignated for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and noncolor
bearing units of the California Army National Guard on 22 January 1969.
The insignia was redesignated for the Headquarters, State Area Command,
California Army National Guard, effective 30 December 1983. |
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Shoulder Sleeve
Insignia
Description On a blue
hexagon one side up, 133/4 inches (4.45 cm) on a side, a setting sun
behind a grizzly bear passant on a grassy field all proper on a twist of
yellow and red. Symbolism California
is the Sunset State, the Golden Gate Commonwealth. The grizzly bear was on
the flag of the California Republic. As the original settlement within the
State was of Spanish origin, the twists of the wreath are yellow and red. Background The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally
approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detach- ment, California National
Guard on 21 May 1952. It was redesignated for Headquarters, State Area
Command, California Army National Guard on 30 December 1983. (TIOH Dwg. No.
A-1-158). [5] |
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© Hubert de Vries 2013-12-04
Heraldry of the World
