Nov. 24, 1818: Hyppolyte Bouchard Invades Monterey Bay

November 24 1818, French-born Argentine pirate Hyppolyte Bouchard launched an attack against Spanish outposts in the Monterey Bay. His crew burned down the Monterey Presidio and raised the Argentinian flag over the city of Monterey for six days.

That same day the padres of Mission Santa Cruz fled to San Jose anticipating an attack. The Awasas Ohlone imprisoned there revolted and briefly took control of the mission while Bouchard camped out on a Santa Cruz beach.

While the Argentinian flag flew over Monterey, Bouchard and his crew continued down the California coast and burned down Mission San Juan Capistrano. They sailed on to Argentina, completing a circumnavigation of the globe, attacking several other Spanish settlements along the way.

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