List of governors of California before 1850

First explored by Gaspar de Portolá, with colonies established at San Diego and Monterey, California was a remote, sparsely-settled Spanish province of New Spain.

Another disputed governorship occurred in 1844, settled when another Californio, Pio Pico, became the last Governor of Mexican California.

No government was formed, however, and the revolt did not have time to spread very far because California came under U.S. military occupation at the outset of the Mexican–American War less than a month later.

Mexican rule was interrupted from 1836 to 1838 by the Californio independence movement led by Juan Bautista Alvarado, who was acclaimed President of Alta California.

As Carrillo was unsuccessful, Alvarado and the Mexican central government negotiated an end to the civil war in Alta California, resulting in Alvarado's abandonment of independence in favor of greater autonomy and the governorship, thus reestablishing the continuity of Mexican governance over Alta California.