[California]. [French Intervention in Mexico]

A los Mexicanos e Hispano-Americanos. Convocatoria. Por Acuerdo Unanime de la Junta Central Directiva... [caption title and first line of text]

San Francisco: [La Voz de Mexico?], 1863. Broadside, 7.75 x 10.75 inches. Central vertical fold, minor creasing, light tanning and scattered foxing. Very good. Item #5596

A very rare broadside calling a combined meeting of the juntas patrióticas of San Francisco, community organizations of Californios and Mexican expatriates convened to support Benito Juarez against the French in the war with Napoleon III. The text announces a meeting at San Francisco’s Philharmonic Hall on Sunday, November 29, 1863, at 2p.m. Juntas patrióticas like this grew out of a tradition of Latino volunteer organizations in California, originally started in 1825 to organize celebrations for Mexican independence. Established in many towns over the following years, they continued to promote Mexican culture and traditions after California was annexed by the United States. This largely apolitical role changed, however, in the face of the twin threats of the Civil War and the French Intervention in Mexico:

"Despite a time lag of four to eight weeks, the newspapers carried stories about the French incursion into Mexico. California's Latinos learned about the landing of the Triple Alliance in Veracruz to collect debts contracted by previous administrations, the agreement of Soledad in which President Benito Juarez pled national bankruptcy and asked for an extension, the withdrawal of the English and Spanish forces on the strength of Juarez's promises, and the menacing French presence, continuing after the Spaniards and English had departed. In May 1862, events took a serious turn when the French broke off diplomatic relations with Mexico, complaining of 'outrages of which the victims have been French subjects' living in Mexico....

"But then, on May 5, 1862, there was a sudden flash of hope -- the outnumbered, ragtag Mexican army repelled the seemingly inexorable French advance at Puebla, sending the French troops, victors of Crimea, Sebastopol, and the Italian campaign, reeling back to Orizaba to lick their wounds. When the news reached California, the Spanish-language headlines were enthusiastic: 'Hurrah for Mexico!! Hurrah for independence!!...' For California's Latinos, U.S. citizens and immigrants alike, this news was a bracing tonic. Suddenly, they were part of a force to be reckoned with. Their peers at Puebla had taken a daring stance and had emerged victorious against the odds. Spontaneously, Latino residents of the gold country town of Columbia, in Tuolumne County, celebrated 'our triumph against the French' by firing artillery salutes, singing patriotic songs, and toasting Mexico's success.... Dozens of cities responded, and dozens of juntas were formed in the next few months to raise funds to help repel the French invaders from Mexico" – Hayes-Bautista.

Funneled through a Junta Central Directiva headquartered in San Francisco, juntas across California and Nevada raised funds which were sent across the border to the Republican government, usually in excess of $1000 every two weeks. This flyer was printed by one such junta known as the Sociedad Patriótica Mexicana, and informs its members that the Junta Central Directiva has called a general meeting of all the local juntas on November 29, 1863. This was a particularly dark time for the Mexican government in exile – the French had occupied Mexico City in June, officially proclaimed the Second Mexican Empire in July, and Maximilian was offered the throne at the start of October. This document was most likely printed by La Voz de Méjico, a tri-weekly Spanish-language paper centered in San Francisco which became the unofficial organ of the regional juntas. A pencil note on the verso of this copy reads "Mass meeting called to contradict the lies of paper's enemies and newspaper reports this is what I referred to in my 2 notation." A rare piece of ephemera evidencing the active social and political role played by Mexican-American community organizations in the late-19th century. We locate only two recorded copies, held by the Bancroft Library and UC Santa Barbara.
David E. Hayes-Bautista et al., "Empowerment, Expansion, and Engagement: Las Juntas Patrióticas in California, 1848-1869" in California History Vol. 85, No. 1 (2007), pp.4-23.

Price: $5,000.00