Prior to California statehood, a revolt by a group of American settlers against Mexican rule led to the declaration of an indepedent nation in California. The Bear Flag was painted by William Todd to represent the new republic and was first raised on June 14, 1846, at Sonoma California.

The current California State Flag was altered little from the original bear flag although the bear was completely redrawn as the original was not easily indentified with the numerous grizzlies that it was meant to represent. Sixty one years after joining the Union, the California state legislature odopted the "Bear Flag" to represent the state in 1911.