American settlers rebelled in 1845 when Mexican authorities ordered them off their California homesteads. Fifteen-year-old, fictional character, David Brennan, who came west with Kit Carson as a civilian member of Captain John Frémont's map-making expedition, secretly joined the rebels. The rebel's ragtag army captured Sonoma, declared independence from Mexico, and raised their hand-painted flag as they created the Bear Flag Republic. If "Pathfinder" Frémont had secret orders from President James Polk to seize California, why did he hesitate to participate in the rebellion? After General Kearny's dragoons and Commodore Stockton's sailors and marines arrived to conquer Mexican California, Frémont found himself at odds with these superior officers. Unexpectedly, it was Frémont and the Bear Flaggers who accepted the Mexican army's surrender and ensured California belonged to the United States. Why then, David asked himself, did the American army want to court-martial Frémont?