Bear Flag Monument, Bronze sculpture at Sonoma Plaza, US.

The Bear Flag Monument is a bronze sculpture at the northeastern corner of Sonoma Plaza. A standing man holds a flagpole in his left hand and a hat in his right, wearing a neckerchief and a shirt rolled to the elbows. He stands on a rock base of about 40 tons, which carries four bronze plaques.

The monument commemorates the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846, when California declared independence from Mexican rule for a brief 25-day period in June. It was dedicated in 1914 by Governor Hiram Johnson and designated as California Historical Landmark number 7 in June 1932.

The four bronze plaques on the stone base display inscriptions and images showing the Bear Flag raising and related events from that period. Visitors walking around the monument can read these details and understand what happened during those days.

The monument stands at the northeastern corner of Sonoma Plaza, making it easy to locate while walking through the central area of town. This location serves as a good starting point for exploring the surrounding plaza and historic buildings nearby.

The rear plaque showing men on horseback and on foot raising the bear flag was originally mounted on the front of the rock base and was moved between 1914 and 1923. The casting of the bronze cost $5,000, and the Smithsonian Institution surveyed the sculpture in 1994, noting it needed conservation treatment.