The adoption of California flag which is also sometimes known as the bear flag was done by California State Legislature and Governor Hiram Johnson signed it into law as California’s State flag in 1911. The flag’s specifications and design were standardized by governor Earl Warren in 1953 in a bill by the state’s legislature. California’s modern flag is white in color and at its bottom it has a wide strip that is red in color. At its center is a bear that is facing left and which is designed to look like it is walking on green grass. At the top left side of the flag is a star that is colored red which is said to have been taken from the 1836 California Lone Star Flag.
The history of California flag
Isaac Graham and Juan Alvarado in 1836 were the leaders of a revolution that was against the Mexican rule. During that revolt, Monterey was captured by rebels and California was declared “a sovereign and free state”. This rebellion although it was short of making California totally independent inspired the bear flag revolt design. The 1836 California Lone Star Flag was all white with a red star at its centre. Later, a bear that was walking was drawn on the flag. The inclusion of the bear was an initiative of the local Californians.
The flag with the grizzly bear was for the first time raised in June, 1846 in Sonoma, California by a number of men who later come to be known as “the Bear Flaggers” who were under the guidance of William B. Ide. Mary Todd’s nephew William L. Todd designed the first California flag (Mary Todd was the wife of former US president Abraham Lincoln). A letter addressed to Los angles Express by William L. Todd stated that blackberry juice was used to draw the star and that the bear was drawn as a symbol of unyielding resistance and strength of the Californian people. During, the secession period and some earlier part of the civil war in America in 1861, San Bernardino County and Los Angeles county who were both secessionists used the Californian flag as the banner of their revolt. On the 4th day of July that same year, the only Confederate flag found in California was captured in Sacramento, California.
When America was celebrating its independence day, Major J.P Gillis unfurled his own confederate flag and armed with it he marched down the street. At that very time California was celebrating its independence from the southern union. Curtis Clark and Jack Biderman were angered by J.P Gillis actions and later they accosted him and took the flag from him. The design of the flag itself was based on the original confederate flag. However, it had seventeen stars rather than the seven that the original Confederate flag had. The flag used by Californian governors contains a Californian seal that is put on the center of a field of azure. At each corner of the field just like the majority of flags used by US governors is a star.
