Early California: pre-1769–1840s: Manifest Destiny
![](https://picturethis.museumca.org/sites/default/files/styles/page/public/pictures/1_5_main.jpg?itok=TaH56fg5)
"I saw the image clear before me. War with Mexico was inevitable; and a grand opportunity now presented itself to realize the far-sighted views of Senator Benton, and make the Pacific Ocean the western boundary of the United States."
– John C. Fremont
This image depicts John C. Fremont, dressed in a U.S. Army uniform, posing for a portrait in New York in 1865. After thirty years as an explorer, soldier, and politician, Fremont is waiting for a new assignment.