▁After ▁California ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁P ico ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁Assembly ▁and ▁Senate . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁command ing ▁brig ad ier ▁general ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁milit ia ▁during ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Civil ▁War . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁And rés ▁P ico ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁San ▁Diego ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 0 ▁as ▁a ▁first - gener ation ▁Californ io . ▁He ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁sons ▁of ▁José ▁María ▁P ico ▁and ▁María ▁E ust aqu ia ▁López . ▁An ▁older ▁brother ▁was ▁P ío ▁P ico , ▁who ▁twice ▁served ▁as ▁governor ▁of ▁Al ta ▁California . ▁ ▁R anch ero ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 5 ▁under ▁the ▁law ▁for ▁sec ular ization ▁of ▁former ▁Church ▁properties , ▁his ▁older ▁brother ▁Governor ▁P ío ▁P ico ▁granted ▁And rés ▁P ico ▁and ▁his ▁associate ▁Juan ▁Mans o ▁a ▁nine - year ▁le ase ▁for ▁the ▁Mission ▁San ▁Fernando ▁Rey ▁de ▁España ▁lands , ▁which ▁en comp ass ed ▁nearly ▁the ▁entire ▁San ▁Fernando ▁Valley . ▁At ▁that ▁time ▁a ▁ 3 5 - year - old ▁ran cher , ▁And rés ▁P ico ▁lived ▁in ▁P ue blo ▁de ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁He ▁ran ▁cattle ▁on ▁the ▁ran ch ▁and ▁used ▁the ▁mission ▁complex ▁as ▁his ▁ha ci enda . ▁He ▁gave ▁R óm ulo ▁P ico ▁Ad obe ▁to ▁his ▁son . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁to ▁raise ▁funds ▁for ▁the ▁Mexican – American