Bicentennial

This month is California's bicentennial of freedom from European colonial power. I have been surprised that there has been nothing in the news about this. You would think Californians would be celebrating across the state. So here is a little background. On July 4, 1776, nothing happened that affected California that day. California was a part of New Spain and as a consequence, what the British did in their colonies didn't matter. However, the spark of freedom caught on and on September 16, 1810 Father Miguel Hildago made his famous cry of Dolores calling for Mexican independence from Spain. California was apart of this new Mexican country and this day September 16 is the date to celebrate California's freedom. However, it took many years and battles to secure independence from Spain and when it was finally done, Alta California was a territory of this new country, Mexico. Of course, soon after Mexican independence California was annexed by the United States. However, we cannot forget our heritage because we are part of the United States of America.