José María de Echeandía (?éMaríadeEcheandí–1871) was twice Mexican governor of Alta California from 1825 to 1831 and again from 1832 to 1833. He was the only governor of California that lived in San Diego.
Personal life
At the college of engineers in Mexico City, he was a Lieutenant-Colonel. He move to Mexico at appointment, leaving his wife and four daughters in Mexico with an olive oil mill he owned. He asked Mexico to give half of his government pay to his Wife. In 1855 he returned to Mexico to find his wife was paid no money and his mill not doing well, with his fortunes turned and he found himself poor. In 1835 there was an earthquake. Being an engineer he was in demand to repair the many damaged buildings and was able to get out of poverty. Antonio López de Santa Anna arrested him in 1855 for a political reasons on something Echeandía negatively said about him, but he was then released. He returned to California and lived there with his daughters, even after the U.S. takeover in 1847 he continued in California until his death in 1871. He had step-daughters to care for him in his old age.
Governor
In 1825 Echeandía was appointed Governor of both lower Baja and upper Alta California. He moved to Monterey, California as this was the current capital. Not liking the cold fog and that he felt too far away from Baja, he moved to San Diego. Most of the administrative office stayed in Monterey. Much of the north Californio were not happy with this absent leader. He appointed Military officer José María Padré as a Lit. Governor of Baja California. Padré was elected to Mexico's congress in 1828. Padré appointed a lower level office in his place, but his did not go over well. In 1829 Manuel Victoria was sent to be the governor Baja California. Victoria was more on the side of the missions over the new rancho and Californio.
In 1826 Governor Echeandía had Jedediah Smith and his men "arrested", interviewed, released and ordered to depart California. As he was fearful that Smith's reports would open the area to Americans.
Echeandía reduced the area and time span of Russians sea otter hunting off the coast of California, that his predecessor Luis Antonio Argüello had licensed to the Russians.
In 1827 Echeandía did not deport Father José Barona a priest of the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Barona supported Independence of Mexico; but would not swear an oath of allegiance to the republic of Mexico. The Mexican government passed legislation on December 20, 1827, that mandated the expulsion of all Spaniards younger than sixty years of age from Mexican territories; Governor Echeandía nevertheless intervened on Barona's behalf in order to prevent his deportation once the law of took effect in California.
In 1828 Echeandía issued the first truancy law of California. It ordered the commanding officers to compel parents to send their children to the schools which he had established. In 1829, throughout Alta California, there were 339 students in 11 primary schools. During this time a noted educator in San Diego was Friar Antonio Menendez and his 18 pupils. Private schools operated throughout this time in California also.
After Victoria's removal Echeandía started serving as provisional governor of the south part of California from 1832 to 1833. Agustin V. Zamorano from 1832 to 1833 was provisional governor of north part of California. This was due to the removal of Victoria. The removal was in part due to a military uprising revolt and the Battle of Cahuenga Pass and Victoria was not liked by the rich.
In 1829 soldiers who had not been paid for years marched south starting in Monterey. Echeandía heard about the unrest and had his troops stop them just before Santa Barbara.
In 1829 Estanislao, an indigenous alcalde, of Mission San José and a member and leader of the Lakisamni tribe of the Yokuts people of northern California lead a bands of armed Native Americans in revolt against the California Mexican government. Estanislao led many raids against Mexican settlers. Echeandía send troops led by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo to battle him in the San Joaquin Valley but did not win. In 1833, malaria was introduced into the San Joaquin Valley by Canadian beaver trappers from the Hudson's Bay Company. More than 20,000 California natives died from malaria in 1833 including many Yokuts, Chumash, Miwok and others, thus ending the revolts.
Governor José Figueroa arrived from Mexico in 1833, resolving the north–south political struggle and replaced Echeandía on January 14, 1833. Figueroa continued the secularization of missions and giving out of Mexican land grants.