California in the mid-1800s was a dangerous and relatively unsettled area. The annexation of California from Mexico began in 1846, with the start of the Mexican-American War. Eight years prior, the non-Indian population was about 8,000. The region provided an abundance of game animals, including deer, elk, and antelope, and was a hunters paradise. Food resources were abundant. But the land also was home to the mighty California grizzly bear, a ferocious animal, weighing up to over 1000 pounds.

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