What two words are written on the state flag of California?

The iconic California state flag, often called the Bear (Review) Flag, features a prominent grizzly bear walking on a patch of grass above a thick red stripe. Below the bear, the bold, capital letters spell out the words that give the flag its historical context and official name.

This phrase is a direct reference to a brief, dramatic chapter in the state's past. In June 1846, a group of American settlers in the Mexican territory of Alta California staged an uprising in the town of Sonoma. They declared an independent nation, creating a crude flag with a bear, a star, and the name of their new country. This "California Republic" was incredibly short-lived, lasting less than a month before the U.S. military arrived and claimed the territory at the start of the Mexican-American War.

The modern flag, officially adopted in 1911, is a direct homage to that original revolutionary banner. The grizzly bear, modeled after a real captive bear named Monarch, symbolizes strength and independence, while the lone star represents sovereignty. The words themselves serve as a permanent reminder of the moment a small group of settlers tried to forge their own nation on the Pacific coast.