15,697
edits
Changes
no edit summary
====Tiburcio Vasquez====
Vasquez was from a well-established Californio family. He came under the influence of a local bandit and was drawn to a life of crime. It seems that he was what some historians call a ‘social bandit’ and he took to crime as a way of protesting at the treatment of Hispanics by the Anglo community in California <ref> Hobsbawn, G, Social Banditry (London, Vintage, 2001), p 4</ref>. Vasquez was a romantic figure who was very handsome and even wrote poetry. Like Zorro, he became very popular with many of the common people, who regarded him as a Robin Hood figure. Vasquez claimed that he never killed a man. He also claimed that he wanted California to be returned to the rule of Mexico. In 1874 he was betrayed to the authorities, imprisoned and later executed. He was hanged because he participated in a robbery, during which a man was killed. Vasquez is still a controversial figure and is seen as a folk hero to some and many still seek out his grave.
== Estanislao==
The native people of California suffered greatly during the Mexican and later the American occupation of the area. The Spanish decided to Christianize and ‘civilize’ the natives by forcing them on to Missions that were run by religious orders <ref> Starr, p. 131</ref>. In these missions, the native people suffered greatly, and many died of abuse and disease at the missions. Many Indian tribes revolted against this including the Yokut. Estanislao was a member of the Yokut tribe, that lived in modern California and he raised a rebellion against the Missions and Mexicans. He was raised on a mission and saw the suffering of his people, first hand. He led a gang of Yokuts who raided the settlements and ranches of the Mexicans. The Mexican government sent soldiers to suppress the revolt but Estanislao could not be apprehended. There were in total four campaigns to crush the revolt of Estanislao. During his raids the rebel leader would carve his initials into pieces of wood, to show the attack was his work, which is reminiscent of Zorro. Eventually the Mexicans wore him down and Estanislao eventually sought the pardon of the governor. Later he became a teacher and died in an epidemic.