Question

Many who live in or visit california are aware of names such as pico boulevard, pico park, or pico rivera. the list of names serves as a reminder of don pico rivera, california's last mexican governor. since the don supposedly held land from san diego to santa barbara, the list of places bearing his name is quite long. yet few are aware of the man's ambitious attempt to rise from poverty to high estate. at a time when political leaders advanced through revolution and rebellion, don pico was no exception. he gained his first governorship in 1831 when his rebels defeated general victoria. a victory at the battle of cahuenga pass in 1845 established him for a second term, which was ended by the mexican war. what does the passage say about political advancement in early nineteenth-century california?

Answer 1

The passage shows that Californian politics, and in particular, political advancement methods, were not wholly bound by law as they are now.

Governmental institutions and government control was weaker at that time, so it was difficult to enforce the law consistently. Because of it, people did not have a strong commitment to following legal paths for advancement. Revolutions and rebellions were more effective in seizing power than political campaigns, and there were few negative repercussions for those who chose that method.