Luís Antonio Argüello
| Luis Antonio Argüello | |
|---|---|
 13th Governor of Alta California
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In office 1822–1825 |
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| Preceded by | Pablo Vicente de Solá |
| Succeeded by | José María de Echeandía |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 21, 1784 Yerba Buena (San Francisco), Alta California |
| Died | March 27, 1830 (aged 45) Yerba Buena (San Francisco), Alta California |
| Spouse(s) | María Angela Berreyesa, Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello |
| Profession | Explorer, politician, soldier |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Luis Antonio Argüello (Spanish pronunciation: [luˈis anˈtonjo arˈɣweʎo]) (June 21, 1784 – March 27, 1830) was the first Californio (native-born) governor of Alta California (thirteenth in all), and the first to take office under Mexican rule. He was the only governor to serve under the First Mexican Empire (of 1821-1823) and also served as acting governor under the subsequent provisional government, which preceded the First Mexican Republic (of 1824–1864).
Argüello was born in Yerba Buena (present day San Francisco), Alta California, to José Darío Argüello and Maria Ygnacia Moraga, members of one of the most distinguished and influential families in early California history. His father founded the Pueblo de Los Angeles, and served as Governor of Alta California and later of Baja California.
In August, 1806, Argüello succeeded his father as Commandant of California with the rank of lieutenant. In 1821, he launched an exploration of Northern California to investigate the rumors of "Foreigners" setting up a base. Argüello published his expedition diary, titled The Diary of Captain Arguello: The Last Spanish Expedition in California, October 17 - November 17, 1821. He ordered retribution on hunters of the Russian-American Company who were catching sea otters in San Francisco Bay. There were numerous sea otter populations to hunt and a lack of Spanish military posts above San Francisco Bay made it hard for Argüello to stop this northern activate, and the possibility of them trading with the Spanish Missions.
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