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How was California governed during the interregnum years of 1846-1850?

A. It remained under Mexican rule.
B. The United States established direct control.
C. It was a territory governed by a military commander.
D. Various European powers shared governance.

User Gbmhunter
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

California was not explicitly under any of the four given choices but was rather a U.S. military-governed territory after the Bear Flag Revolt and before statehood.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the interregnum years of 1846-1850, California was not governed under any of the options provided as it was transitioning from Mexican rule to statehood within the United States. The correct answer, which is not listed among the options provided, is that California was briefly the California Republic before it became a U.S. military-governed territory after the Bear Flag Revolt, and it was during Taylor's administration that the push for directly becoming a state was made. The period saw a governance of sorts by military commanders and civilian authorities awaiting California's admission to the Union.

In this complicated time, President Zachary Taylor supported the territory's admission as a free state without going through the traditional territorial stage, and a state constitutional convention was called by the military authorities in California. This was amidst the backdrop of the Compromise of 1850, which itself was a series of congressional acts looking to resolve issues such as the boundaries of new states and territories and the question of slavery in these areas.

User Pedro Duarte
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