California's Yosemite Valley.

This article covers in brief the history of California until the year 1899; for later events, see History of California 1900 to present. For additional information and more notes and citations, see the Main article links at the top of most sections.

The article tells the story of California from the time that immigrants from Asia began arriving some 13,000 years ago, and perhaps earlier. It tells of the exploration of the coasts and inland valleys by European explorers, the rapid influx of fortune-hunters and adventurers beginning with the California Gold Rush in the 1850s, and ends in 1899 with a largely agricultural and rural California with a population of some 1.4 million people. Download high resolution version (700x900, 118 KB)Image of a California Poppy flower. ... The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) began shortly after January 24, 1848 (when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill in Coloma). ... Among the states, remote California played the least role in the American Civil War. ... This article continues the history of California in the years 1900 and later; for events through 1899, see History of California to 1899. ... Map showing Island of California, circa 1650 Maritime history of California is a term used to describe significant past events relating to the U.S. State of California in areas concerning shipping, shipwrecks, and military installations and lighthouses constructed to protect or aid navigation and development of the state. ... The establishment of Americas transcontinental rail lines securely linked California to the rest of the country, and the far-reaching transportation systems that grew out of them during the century that followed contributed to the state’s social, political, and economic development. ... Slavery in California existed among the native peoples of that region long before the arrival of the first European colonists. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The recorded history of the San Diego , California region goes back to the Spanish penetration of California in the 16th century. ... The history of San Francisco, California has been greatly influenced by its coastal location, which has made it a natural center for maritime trade and military activity. ... Tunnel View, 4/14/2002 -- Claude A. Muncey -- released under GFDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Tunnel View, 4/14/2002 -- Claude A. Muncey -- released under GFDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Yosemite Valley with Half Dome in the distance. ... This article continues the history of California in the years 1900 and later; for events through 1899, see History of California to 1899. ... The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) began shortly after January 24, 1848 (when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill in Coloma). ...

Before European contact

The circumstances of the arrival of the first humans in California remain a mystery. In all, some 30 tribes (or culture groups) lived in the area of present-day California, gathered into perhaps six different language family groups. These groups included the early-arriving Hokan family (winding up in the mountainous far north and Colorado River basin in the south), and the recently arrived Uto-Aztekan of the desert southeast. This cultural diversity was among the densest in North America, and was likely the result of a series of migrations and invasions during the last 10,000-15,000 years.^[1] The Hokan languages are a group of languages spoken in North America by Native Americans. ... Pre-contact distribution of Northern Uto-Aztecan languages (note: this map does not show the distribution in Mexico) The Uto-Aztecan (also Uto-Aztekan) is a Native American language family. ...

While the general consensus is that California was populated by groups of humans coming over the Bering Strait from Asia, the details of these groups’ passage and arrival are unknown. The remains of Arlington Springs Man on Santa Rosa Island are among the traces of a very early habitation, dated to the last ice age (Wisconsin glaciation) about 13,000 years ago. At the time of the first European contact, Native American tribes included the Chumash, Maidu, Miwok, Modoc, Mohave, Ohlone, Shasta, and Tongva. Satellite photo of the Bering Strait Photo across the Bering Strait Nautical chart of the Bering Strait The Bering Strait (Russian: ) is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43 W) of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, the westernmost point (168°05... Arlington Man is the name given a set of human remains. ... Santa Rosa Island Santa Rosa Island is the second largest of the Channel Islands of California at 52,794 acres (21,365 hectares). ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... The Wisconsin (in North America), Devensian (in the British Isles), Midlandian (in Ireland), Würm (in the Alps), and Weichsel (in northern central Europe) glaciations are the most recent glaciations of the Pleistocene epoch, which ended around 10,000 BCE. The general glacial advance began about 70,000 BCE, and... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... Rafael, a Chumash in the 1800s Pre-contact distribution of the Chumash The Chumash are a Native American tribe who historically inhabit mainly the southern coastal regions of California, in the vicinity of what is now Santa Barbara and Ventura, extending as far south as Malibu. ... The Maidu are a group of Native Americans who lived in Northern California. ... Miwok (also spelled Miwuk, Mi-Wuk, or Me-Wuk) can refer to any one of four linguistically-related groups of Native Americans, who lived in what is now Northern California, who spoke one of the Miwokan languages in the Utian family. ... For other uses, see Modoc (disambiguation). ... Two Mohave men dressed in loincloths, western Arizona Judith, a young Mohave woman about eighteen years of age The Mohave are a Native American tribe, many of whom live on or near the Colorado River Indian Tribes, Chemehuevi and Fort Mojave Indian Reservations on the Colorado River in California and... For the college of the same name, see Ohlone College. ... Shasta can be a reference to a Native American tribe, as well as a specific liger, and also various locations in Northern California. ... Gabrieleno Native American women Tongva may also refer to the Tongva language. ...

Tribes adapted to California’s many varying climates. Coastal tribes were a major source of trading beads, produced from mussel shells using stone tools. Tribes in California's broad Central Valley and the surrounding foothills developed an early agriculture, burning the grasslands to encourage growth of edible wild plants, especially oak trees. The acorns from these trees were pounded into a powder, and the acidic tannin leached out to make edible flour. Tribes living in the mountains of the north and east relied heavily on salmon and game hunting, and used California’s volcanic legacy by collecting and shaping obsidian for themselves and for trade. The deserts of the southeast were home to tribes who learned to thrive in that harsh environment, by making careful use of local plants and living in oases and along water courses. Subclasses Pteriomorpha (marine mussels) Palaeoheterodonta (freshwater mussels) Heterodonta (zebra mussels) The common name mussel is used for members of several different families of clams or bivalve molluscs, from both saltwater and freshwater habitats. ... This article is about Californias Central Valley. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from Latin oak tree), which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably... This article is about the seed; for other meanings of the word, especially ACORN community organization, see acorn (disambiguation). ... A bottle of tannic acid. ... This article is about a type of volcanic glass. ...

The status of all these people remained dynamic, as the more successful tribes expanded their territories, and less successful tribes contracted. Slave-trading and war among tribes alternated with periods of relative peace. In all, it is estimated by the time of extensive European contact in the 1700s, that perhaps 300,000 Native Americans were living within what is now California.

European exploration (1530 – 1765)

The first European explorers, flying the flags of Spain and of England, sailed along the coast of California from the early 1500s to the mid-1700s, but no European settlements were established. The most important colonial power, Spain, focused attention on its imperial centers in Mexico, Peru, and the Philippines. Confident of Spanish claims to all lands touching the Pacific Ocean (including California), Spain simply sent an occasional exploring party sailing along the California coast. The California seen by these ship-bound explorers was one of hilly grasslands and forests, with few apparent resources or natural ports to attract colonists. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

The other colonial states of the era, with their interest on more densely populated areas, paid limited attention to this distant part of the world. It was not until the middle of the 1700s, that both Russian and British explorers and fur-traders began encroaching on the margins of the area.

Hernán Cortés

Main article: Hernán Cortés

About 1530, Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán (President of New Spain) was told by an Indian slave of the Seven Cities of Cibola that had streets paved with gold and silver. About the same time, Hernán Cortés was attracted by stories of a wonderful country far to the northwest, populated by Amazonish women and abounding with gold, pearls, and gems. The Spaniards conjectured that these places may be one and the same. Hernán(do) Cortés Pizarro, 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca (1485–December 2, 1547) was the conquistador who became famous for leading the military expedition that initiated the Spanish Conquest of Mexico. ... Nuño Guzmán de Beltrán or Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán (15th century-1550) was a Spanish conquistador and dictator in colonial Mexico. ... map of New Spain in red, with territories claimed but not controlled in orange. ... For the real places of this name, see Cibola, Arizona and Cibola County, New Mexico. ... The Amazons (in Greek, ) were a mythical ancient nation of all-female warriors. ...

An expedition in 1533 discovered a bay, most likely that of La Paz, before experiencing difficulties and returning. Cortés accompanied expeditions in 1534 and 1535 without finding the sought-after city. The Bay of La Paz, as seen from the International Space Station La Paz Entrance Sculpture La Paz is the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. ...

On May 3, 1535, Cortés claimed "Santa Cruz Island" (now known as the peninsula of Baja California), and laid out and founded the city that was to become La Paz later that spring. is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... pie is nice Year 1535 was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ... Location within Mexico Municipalities of Baja California Country Capital Municipalities 5 Largest City Tijuana Government  - Governor José Guadalupe Osuna Millán (PAN)  - Federal Deputies PAN: 8  - Federal Senators Alejandro González (PAN) Rafael Díaz (PAN) Fernando Castro (PRI) Area Ranked 12th  - Total 69,921 km² (26,996. ...

Francisco de Ulloa

Main article: Francisco de Ulloa

Also: Island of California

In July 1539, moved by the renewal of those stories, Cortés sent Francisco de Ulloa out with three small vessels. He made it to the mouth of the Colorado, then sailed around the peninsula as far as Cedros Island. Route of the 1539 voyage by Francisco de Ulloa from (Acapulco) along the west coast of Mexico Francisco de Ulloa (d. ... The Island of California is shown on a 1650 map by Nicolas Sanson The Island of California refers to a long-held European misconception, dating from the 16th century, that California was not part of mainland North America but rather a large island separated from the continent by the Mare... Cedros Island lies in the Pacific Ocean, 22 km (14 miles) off the west coast of Baja California, 426 km (265 miles) south of Ensenada. ...

The account of this voyage marks the first recorded application of the name "California". It can be traced to the fifth volume of a chivalric romance, Amadis de Gallia, arranged by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo and first printed around 1510, in which a character travels through an island called "California". Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo (or Garci Ordoñez de Montalvo) was a Spanish author (d. ...

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

California is shown as an island on this 1650 map. The smaller islands located in the "channel" were mentioned in an early myth and subsequently included by mapmakers over the centuries who took it on faith that region had actually been explored.

Main article: Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

The first European to explore the California coast was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese navigator sailing for the Spanish Crown. In June 1542, Cabrillo led an expedition in two ships from the west coast of what is now Mexico. He landed on September 28 at San Diego Bay, claiming what he thought was the Island of California for Spain. Download high resolution version (8831x6301, 4625 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (8831x6301, 4625 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... João Rodrigues Cabrilho Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (Portuguese: João Rodrigues Cabrilho) (ca. ... An anachronous map of the overseas Spanish Empire (1492-1898) in red, and the Spanish Habsburg realms in Europe (1516-1714) in orange. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... The Island of California is shown on a 1650 map by Nicolas Sanson The Island of California refers to a long-held European misconception, dating from the 16th century, that California was not part of mainland North America but rather a large island separated from the continent by the Mare...

Cabrillo and his crew landed on San Miguel, one of the Channel Islands, then continued north in an attempt to discover a supposed coastal route to the mainland of Asia. Cabrillo likely sailed as far north as Pt. Reyes (north of San Francisco), but died as the result of an accident during this voyage; the remainder of the expedition, which likely reached as far north as the Rogue River in today's southern Oregon was led by Bartolomé Ferrelo.^[2] San Miguel is: San Miguel is a town in San Luis Obispo County in California San Miguel is the name of a county in New Mexico San Miguel is the name of a town in the Philippine province of Leyte A city in Tabasco is called San Miguel The biggest... The eight Channel Islands of California, off the west coast of the United States. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... Point Reyes Point Reyes is a prominent cape on the Pacific coast of northern California in the United States. ... Rogue River Gorge, Oregon The mouth of the Rogue River in the Pacific Ocean at Gold Beach, Oregon The Rogue River is located in southwest Oregon. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Bartolomé Ferrelo, also known as Bartolomé Ferrer, born 1499 in Bilbao Spain, died 1550 in Mexico. ...

Sir Francis Drake

Main article: Francis Drake

On June 7 1579, the English explorer Sir Francis Drake saw an excellent harbor, which he called Nova Albion and claimed for England. The location remains unknown and there was no follow-up.^[3] This article is about the Elizabethan naval commander. ... This article is about the Elizabethan naval commander. ...

Sebastian Cermeno

Main article: Sebastian Cermeno

Sebastian Melendez Rodriguez Cermeno was a skilled explorer, but with unfortunate luck, he did not accomplish his mission. Still, in the face of many dangers, he guided his crew to safety.

Sebastian Cermeno did many things before becoming an explorer. He was born in Portugal on November 24, 1548. He grew up to be an experienced sea captain and merchant.

Cermeno had a difficult journey to California. In 1594, he was hired to look for a safe harbor for the Manila Galleons by Luis de Velasco, the Viceroy of New Spain. He left Acapulco, New Spain, in March 1594, accompanied by a small fleet of ships. He reached Manila, Philippines, in record time. At Manila, Cermeno received the San Agustin, an 80 foot galleon. He proceeded to California with a crew of 70 men. During the voyage, they sighted land near Point St. George on the present-day border between California and Oregon. However, a fierce storm prevented the ship from anchoring there. Finally, the San Agustin landed in a little bay on November 14, 1595. He named it La Baya de San Francisco, or the Bay of Saint Francis. While in the area, Cermeno had peaceful meetings with the natives. The crew put together their launch to explore bays and rivers. On November 30, 1595, a big storm hit and drove the San Agustin to pieces in only a few hours. After the storm the beach was littered by the remains of the San Agustin. Twelve men had been lost in the wreck. They had no choice but to abandon their mission and sail back to Acapulco in the open launch, the San Buenaventura. However, Cermeno insisted on exploring parts of the coast along the way. The whole crew might have starved if not for the Coast Miwok, who supplied them with acorns. Sadly, when he was back in New Spain, he got in trouble for losing the San Agustin and its valuable cargo.

Sebastinan Cermeno, though he failed his mission, achieved many things. Even though the government didn't trust his charts of the California coast, they were the most accurate maps of the time. He also had peaceful meetings with the Indians, which many explorers failed to do. He was able to bring his crew safely from California to Acapulco in a crowded boat. Sebastian Cermeno was a skilled sailor and mapmaker.

Also, Sebastian Cermeno was important to California history. He discovered the Bay of Saint Francis ( now Drake's Bay ) for Spain. He was one of the first explorers to reach California. Even though Sebastian Vizcaino's inaccurate maps were used by many sailors, Cermeno's charts were much more accurate. But like Vizcaino and Juan Cabrillo, he missed the Golden Gate, the entrance to San Francisco Bay. Also, at La Baya de San Francisco, he mad no mention of signs that Sir Francis Drake had been there only 17 years before.

Sebastian Melendez Rodriguez Cermeno braved a shipwreck and faced starvation in the hope of reaching his goal. An able sea captain and determined man, he contributed greatly to California history.

Sebastián Vizcaíno

Main article: Sebastián Vizcaíno

In 1602, the Spaniard Sebastián Vizcaíno explored California's coastline as far north as Monterey Bay, where he put ashore. He ventured inland south along the coast, and recorded a visit to what is likely Carmel Bay. His major contributions to the state's history were the glowing reports of the Monterey area as an anchorage and as land suitable for settlement, as well as the detailed charts he made of the coastal waters (which were used for nearly 200 years).^[4] Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548-1624) was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Philippines, the Baja California peninsula, Alta California, and Japan. ... A view of Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of California, south of San Francisco. ... Carmel-by-the-Sea is a city located in Monterey County, California. ...

European exploration (1765 – 1821)

British seafaring Captain James Cook, midway through his third and final voyage of exploration in 1778, sailed along the west coast of North America aboard the HMS Resolution, mapping the coast from California all the way to the Bering Strait. In 1786 Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, led a group of scientists and artists on a voyage of exploration ordered by Louis XVI and were welcomed in Monterey. They compiled an account of the Californian mission system, the land and the people. Traders, whalers and scientific missions followed in the next decades.^[5] This article is about the British explorer. ... North American redirects here. ... Resolution and Adventure with fishing craft in Matavai Bay by William Hodges, painted 1776, shows the two ships at anchor in Tahiti in August 1773. ... Satellite photo of the Bering Strait Photo across the Bering Strait Nautical chart of the Bering Strait The Bering Strait (Russian: ) is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43 W) of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, the westernmost point (168°05... La Pérouse in 1828, by François Rude. ... Louis XVI Louis XVI (August 23, 1754 - January 21, 1793), was King of France and Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then King of the French in 1791-1792. ...

Spanish colonization and governance (1697 – 1821)

Main articles: List of pre-statehood governors of California, Las Californias, and Alta California

In 1697, the Jesuit missionary Juan María de Salvatierra established Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, the first permanent mission in Baja California Sur. The California territory at this time was part of New Spain, and not divided as it is today. Jesuit control over the peninsula was gradually extended, first in the region around Loreto, then to the south in the Cape region, and finally toward the north across the northern boundary of Baja California Sur. By 1765, 21 missions had been established in California. This is a list of pre-statehood governors of California. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... Fr. ... Mission Loreto was founded on October 25, 1697 at the Monqui settlement of Conchó in the present city of Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico. ... Baja California Sur (English: South Lower California) is one of the 31 States of Mexico, occupying the part of the Baja California Peninsula south of the 28th parallel. ... map of New Spain in red, with territories claimed but not controlled in orange. ... Loreto (or Conchó) was the first Spanish town on the Baja California Peninsula, the capital of Las Californias from 1697–1777, and the current seat of the Loreto municipality in Baja California Sur. ...

During the last quarter of the 18th century, the first Spanish settlements were established in Alta California. Reacting to interest by Russia and possibly Great Britain in the fur-bearing animals of the Pacific north coast, Spain further extended the series of Catholic missions, accompanied by troops and establishing ranches, along the southern and central coast of California. These missions were intended to demonstrate the claim of the Spanish Empire to modern-day California. Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... An anachronous map of the overseas Spanish Empire (1492-1898) in red, and the Spanish Habsburg realms in Europe (1516-1714) in orange. ...

The first quarter of the 19th century continued the slow colonization of the southern and central California coast by Spanish missionaries, ranchers, and troops. By 1820, Spanish influence was marked by the chain of missions reaching from Loreto, north to San Diego to just north of today's San Francisco Bay area, and extended inland approximately 25 to 50 miles from the missions. Outside of this zone, perhaps 200,000 to 250,000 Native Americans were continuing to lead traditional lives. The Adams-Onís Treaty, signed in 1819 set the northern boundary of the Spanish claims at the 42nd parallel, effectively creating today's northern boundary between California and Oregon. A missionary is a propagator of religion, often an evangelist or other representative of a religious community who works among those outside of that community. ... Ranching is the raising of cattle or sheep on rangeland, although one might also speak of ranching with regard to less common livestock such as elk, bison or emu. ... A troop is a military unit. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney         City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Map showing results of the Adams-Onís Treaty. ...

First Spanish colonies

Spain had maintained a number of missions and presidios throughout New Spain since 1493. The Crown laid claim to the north costal provinces of California since 1542. Excluding Santa Fe in New Mexico, it was slow in settlement for 155 years. Although establishments officially beginning in Loreto, Baja California Sur were established in 1697, It was not until the threat of an incursion by Russia, coming down from Alaska in 1765, that King Charles III of Spain felt development of more northern installations were necessary. By then, the Spanish Empire was engaged in the political aftermath of the Seven Years' War and colonial priorities in far away California afforded only a minimal effort. Alta California was to be settled by Franciscan monks, protected by troops in the California Missions. Between 1774 and 1791, the Crown sent forth a number of expeditions to further explore and settle Alta California and the Pacific Northwest. map of New Spain in red, with territories claimed but not controlled in orange. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Nickname: Location in Santa Fe County, New Mexico Coordinates: , Country State County Santa Fe Founded ca. ... Loreto (or Conchó) was the first Spanish town on the Baja California Peninsula, the capital of Las Californias from 1697–1777, and the current seat of the Loreto municipality in Baja California Sur. ... Baja California Sur (English: South Lower California) is one of the 31 States of Mexico, occupying the part of the Baja California Peninsula south of the 28th parallel. ... Charles III of Spain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... An anachronous map of the overseas Spanish Empire (1492-1898) in red, and the Spanish Habsburg realms in Europe (1516-1714) in orange. ... Combatants Kingdom of Prussia Kingdom of Great Britain and its American Colonies Electorate of Hanover Iroquois Confederacy Kingdom of Portugal Electorate of Brunswick Electorate of Hesse-Kassel Philippines Archduchy of Austria Kingdom of France Empire of Russia Kingdom of Sweden Kingdom of Spain Electorate of Saxony Kingdom of Naples and... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Postcard of the reconstructed Mission Santa Bárbara The California missions are a series of settlements established by Spanish Catholic Franciscans, to Christianize the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of giving Spain a toehold in the frontier land. ... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... The Pacific Northwest from space The Pacific Northwest, abbreviated PNW, or PacNW is a region in the northwest of North America. ...

Gaspar de Portolà

Main article: Gaspar de Portolà

In May 1768, the Spanish Visitor General, José de Gálvez, planned a four-prong expedition to settle Alta California, two by sea and two by land, which Gaspar de Portolà volunteered to command. Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira (1716 – 1784), a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California (1767–1770), explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. ... José de Gálvez, marqués de Sonora, Visitador in New Spain. ...

The Portolà land expedition arrived at the site of present-day San Diego on June 29, 1769, where it established the Presidio of San Diego. Eager to press on to Monterey Bay, de Portolà and his group, consisting of Father Juan Crespi, sixty-three leather-jacket soldiers and a hundred mules, headed north on July 14. They reached the present-day sites of Los Angeles on August 2, Santa Monica on August 3, Santa Barbara on August 19, San Simeon on September 13 and the mouth of the Salinas River on October 1. Although they were looking for Monterey Bay, the group failed to recognize it when they reached it. San Diego redirects here. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1820 map, Presidio of San Diego El Reál Presidio de San Diego (Royal Presidio of San Diego) was first established in May 14, 1769 by Commandant Pedro Fages under authority of the King of Spain as a fort. ... Juan Crespi (1721–1782), was a Spanish missionary and explorer in the Southwest, a Franciscan. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 214th day of the year (215th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Santa Monica (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Location in Santa Barbara County and the state of California Coordinates: , Country State County Santa Barbara Government  - Mayor Marty Blum Area  - Total 41. ... is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... San Simeon (ZIP Code: 93452) is a settlement on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California notable in two respects: Its position along Cabrillo Hwy is almost precisely halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, each of those towns being roughly 230 mi (370 km) away. ... is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Salinas River may refer to: The Salinas River in California in the United States. ... is the 274th day of the year (275th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A view of Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, on the coast of California, south of San Francisco. ...

On October 31, de Portolà's explorers became the first Europeans known to view San Francisco Bay. Ironically, the Manila Galleons had sailed along this coast for almost 200 years by then, without noticing the bay. The group returned to San Diego in 1770. is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ... The Manila Galleons were Spanish galleons that sailed once or twice per year across the Pacific Ocean between Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in New Spain (now Mexico). ...

Junípero Serra

A portrait of Junípero Serra.

Main article: Junípero Serra

Junípero Serra was a Majorcan (Spain) Franciscan who founded the Alta California mission chain. After King Carlos III ordered the Jesuits expelled from "New Spain" on February 3, 1768, Serra was named "Father Presidente." Spanish missionary Junipero Serra This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Spanish missionary Junipero Serra This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Blessed Junípero Serra (November 24, 1713 – August 28, 1784) was a Majorcan (Spain) Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California. ... Majorca (Spanish and Catalan: ) is the largest island of Spain. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... The Spanish missions in California (more simply referred to as the California Missions) comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Catholic faith among the local Native Americans. ... Charles III of Spain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Seal of the Society of Jesus. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1768 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Serra founded San Diego de Alcalá in 1769. Later that year, Serra, Governor de Portolà and a small group of men moved north, up the Pacific Coast. They reached Monterey in 1770, where Serra founded the second Alta California mission, San Carlos Borromeo. Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded on July 16, 1769, the first in the twenty-one Alta California mission chain established by Father Presidente Junípero Serra; today it is known as Californias First Church. ... The Pacific Coast is any coast fronting the Pacific Ocean. ... For other uses, see Monterey (disambiguation). ... Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo was first established on June 3, 1770 in Monterey, California, and was named for Charles Borromeo, Archbishop of Milan, Italy. ...

Alta California missions

Main article: Spanish missions in California

An early map illustrating the route of "El Camino Real" in 1821, along with the 21 Franciscan Alta California missions. The road at this time was merely a horse and mule trail.

The California Missions comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans, Jesuits, and Franciscans, to spread the Christian doctrine among the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of confirming historic Spanish claims to the area. The missions introduced European livestock, fruits, vegetables, and industry into the California region, while keeping the Native Americans in virtual peonage. The Spanish missions in California (more simply referred to as the California Missions) comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Catholic faith among the local Native Americans. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (751x1444, 106 KB) Summary An early map illustrating the route of El Camino Real and the 21 Franciscan missions in 1821. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (751x1444, 106 KB) Summary An early map illustrating the route of El Camino Real and the 21 Franciscan missions in 1821. ... Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... “Dominicans” redirects here. ... Seal of the Society of Jesus. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... Vegetables on a market Vegetable is a nutritional and culinary term denoting any part of a plant that is commonly consumed by humans as food, but is not regarded as a culinary fruit, nut, herb, spice, or grain. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Most missions were small, with normally two Franciscans and six to eight soldiers in residence. All of these buildings were built largely with unpaid native labor under Franciscan supervision. In addition to the presidio (royal fort) and pueblo (town), the misión was one of the three major agencies employed by the Spanish crown in an attempt to consolidate its colonial territories. None of these missions were completely self-supporting, requiring continued (albeit modest) financial support. Starting with the onset of the Mexican War of Independence in 1810, this support largely disappeared and the missions and their converts were left on their own. By 1827, the Mexican Government passed the General Law of Expulsion which exiled Spanish born people--decimating the clergy in California. Some of the missions were then nationalized by the Mexican government and sold off. It was not until after statehood that the US Supreme Court restored some missions to the orders that owned them. In general, the word colonial means of or relating to a colony. In United States history, the term Colonial is used to refer to the period before US independence. ... Combatants Mexico Spain Commanders Miguel Hidalgo José María Morelos Vicente Guerrero Spanish colonial authorities Strength  ?  ? Casualties  ?  ? Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821), was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and Spanish colonial authorities, which started on September 16, 1810. ...

In order to facilitate overland travel, the mission settlements were situated approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) apart, so that they were separated by one day's long ride on horseback along the 600-mile (966-kilometer) long El Camino Real (Spanish for "The Royal Highway," though often referred to as "The King's Highway"), and also known as the California Mission Trail. Heavy freight movement was practical only via water. Tradition has it that the padres sprinkled mustard seeds along the trail in order to mark it with bright yellow flowers. A map produced in 1920 illustrating the route of El Camino Real in 1821, along with the 21 Alta California Franciscan missions. ... Species See text. ...

Four presidios, strategically placed along the California coast and organized into separate military districts, served to protect the missions and other Spanish settlements in Upper California. The Spanish missions in California (more simply referred to as the California Missions) comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Catholic faith among the local Native Americans. ...

A number of mission structures survive today or have been rebuilt, and many have congregations established since the beginning of the 20th century. The highway and missions became for many a romantic symbol of an idyllic and peaceful past. The "Mission Revival Style" was an architectural movement that drew its inspiration from this idealized view of California's past. The Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th Century and drew inspiration from the early Spanish missions in California. ...

Ranchos

Main article: Ranchos of California

The Spanish (and later the Mexicans) encouraged settlement with large land grants which were turned into ranchos, where cattle and sheep were raised. Cow hides (at roughly $1 each) and fat (known as tallow, used to make candles as well as soaps) were the primary exports of California until the mid-19th century. The owners of these ranchos styled themselves after the landed gentry in Spain. Their workers included some Native Americans who had learned to speak Spanish and ride horses. The Ranchos or Alta California land grants established land use patterns that are still recognizable in the California of today. ... Landed gentry is a term traditionally applied in Britain to members of the upper class with country estates often (but not always) farmed on their behalf by others, and who might be without a peerage or other hereditary title. ...

Russian attempts at colonization

Beginning in the early 1800s, fur trappers of the Russian Empire explored the West Coast, hunting for sea otter pelts as far south as San Diego. Taking advantage of the chaos created by the war between Spain and Mexico, in August 1812, the Russian-American Company set up a fortified trading post at Fort Ross, near present day Bodega Bay on the Sonoma Coast sixty miles north of San Francisco on land claimed, but not occupied by, Great Britain. This colony was active until 1841. El Presidio de Sonoma, or Sonoma Barracks, was established in 1836 by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (the "Commandante-General of the Northern Frontier of Alta California") as a part of Mexico's strategy to halt Russian incursions into the region. Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... Binomial name Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) is a large otter native to the North Pacific, from northern Japan and Kamchatka west across the Aleutian Islands south to California. ... The Russian-American Company was a semi-official colonial trading company started by Grigory Shelikhov and Nikolai Rezanov and chartered by tsar Paul I in 1799. ... Fort Ross is a former Russian fur trade outpost in what is now Sonoma County, California (United States). ... Bodega Bay and Bodega Harbor Bodega Bay is a small shallow, sand-choked inlet of the Pacific Ocean on the coast of northern California in the United States. ... Sonoma County is a county located on Californias Pacific coast north of the San Francisco Bay Area. ... This mission was established in 1836 by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (the Commanclate-General of the Northern Frontier of Alta California) as a part of Mexicos strategy to halt Russian incursions into the region. ... Mariano Vallejo, ca. ...

Mexican era (1821-1846)

Main articles: List of pre-statehood governors of California, Las Californias, and Alta California

This is a list of pre-statehood governors of California. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ...

General

Substantial changes occurred during the second quarter of the 19th century. Mexican independence from Spain in 1821 marked the end of European rule in California; the missions faded in importance under Mexican control while ranching and trade increased. By the mid-1840s, the increased presence of Americans made the northern part of the California diverge from the southern part, where the Spanish-speaking "Californios" dominated. A Californio was a Spanish-speaking inhabitant of Alta California who lived there when it was a part of Mexico, before it was taken by the United States after the Mexican-American War. ...

By 1846, California had a Spanish-speaking population of under 10,000, tiny even compared to the sparse population of states in Mexico proper. The "Californios," as they were known, consisted of about 800 families, mostly concentrated on a few large ranchos. About 1,300 American citizens and a very mixed group of about 500 Europeans, scattered mostly from Monterey to Sacramento dominated trading as the Californios dominated ranching. In terms of adult males, the two groups were about equal, but the American citizens were more recent arrivals.

Secularization

First, the Mexican Congress passed the General Law of Expulsion in 1827. This law declared all persons born in Spain to be be "illegal immigrants" and ordered them to leave the country. Many of the clergy were Spanish. Next, the Mexican Congress passed An Act for the Secularization of the Missions of California on August 17, 1833. Mission San Juan Capistrano was the very first to feel the effects of this legislation the following year. The Franciscans soon thereafter abandoned the missions, taking with them most everything of value, after which the locals typically plundered the mission buildings for construction materials. Congress of Mexico - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Congress of Mexico - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1833 (MDCCCXXXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded on All Saints Day (November 1), 1776. ...

Other nationalities

• In this period, American and British trappers began entering California in search of beaver. Using the Siskiyou Trail, Old Spanish Trail, and later, the California Trail, these trapping parties arrived in California, often without the knowledge or approval of the Mexican authorities, and laid the foundation for the arrival of later Gold Rush era Forty-Niners, farmers and ranchers.

• In 1840, the American adventurer, writer and lawyer Richard Henry Dana wrote of his experiences aboard ship off California in the 1830s in "Two Years Before the Mast" (etext [2])

• The leader of a French scientific expedition to California, Eugene Duflot de Mofras, wrote in 1840 "...it is evident that California will belong to whatever nation chooses to send there a man-of-war and two hundred men."^[6] In 1841, General Vallejo wrote Governor Alvarado that "...there is no doubt that France is intriguing to become mistress of California," but a series of troubled French governments did not uphold French interests in the area. During disagreements with Mexicans, the German-Swiss Francophile John Sutter threatened to raise the French flag over California and place himself and his settlement, New Helvetia, under French protection.

The Siskiyou Trail stretched from Californias Central Valley to Oregons Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Main route of California Trail (thick red line), including Applegate-Lassen and Beckwourth variations (thinner red lines) The California Trail was a major overland emigrant route across the Western United States from Missouri to California in the middle 19th century. ... The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) began shortly after January 24, 1848 (when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill in Coloma). ... Forty-niners were the participants of the California Gold Rush 1848 - 1854. ... Richard Henry Dana Jr. ... A man of war (also man-of-war, man-o-war or simply man) is an armed naval vessel. ... A Francophile is term given to people with a severe mental illness: its symptoms are a craven attitude towards fighting to preserve what is claimed to be loved, a belief that the French Emprie was and is vastly superior to the British (a falsehood) and an habitual insertion of... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Nuevo Helvetia (also known as New Helvetia or New Switzerland) was a Mexican-era California settlement. ...

American interest and immigrants

Main article: California Trail

Although a small number of American traders and trappers had lived in California since the early 1830s, the first organized overland party of American immigrants was the Bidwell-Bartleson party of 1841. With mules and on foot, this pioneering group groped their way across the continent using the still untested California Trail.^[7] Also in 1841, an overland exploratory party of the United States Exploring Expedition came down the Siskiyou Trail from the Pacific Northwest. In 1844, Caleb Greenwood guided the first settlers to take wagons over the Sierra Nevada. In 1846, the misfortunes of the Donner Party earned notoriety as they struggled to enter California. Main route of California Trail (thick red line), including Applegate-Lassen and Beckwourth variations (thinner red lines) The California Trail was a major overland emigrant route across the Western United States from Missouri to California in the middle 19th century. ... Main route of California Trail (thick red line), including Applegate-Lassen and Beckwourth variations (thinner red lines) The California Trail was a major overland emigrant route across the Western United States from Missouri to California in the middle 19th century. ... The United States Exploring Expedition was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean (the Southern Seas) conducted by the United States Navy from 1838–1842. ... The Siskiyou Trail stretched from Californias Central Valley to Oregons Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path. ... Old Caleb Greenwood was a Western U.S. fur trapper and trail guide. ... The Donner Party Memorial at Donner Memorial State Park. ...

By 1846, the province had a non-Native American population of about 1500 Californio adult men (with about 6500 women and children), who lived mostly in the southern half. About 2,000 recent immigrants (almost all adult men) lived mostly in the northern half of California.

United States era (beginning 1846)

Bear Flag Revolt and American conquest

Main article: Mexican-American War

When the United States declared war on Mexico, May 13, 1846, it took almost two months (mid-July 1846) for definite word of war to get to California. On hearing rumors of war, U.S. consul Thomas O. Larkin, stationed in Monterey, tried to keep peace between the Americans and the small Mexican military garrison commanded by José Castro. American army captain John C. Frémont, with about 60 well-armed men, had entered California in December 1845 and was making a slow march to Oregon when they received word that war between Mexico and the U.S. was imminent. [3] Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia José Mariá Flores Strength 78,790 soldiers 25,000–40,000 soldiers Casualties KIA: 1733 Total dead: 13,271 Wounded: 4,152 AWOL: 9,200+ 25,000... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Thomas Oliver Larkin, was the son of Thomas O. Larkin and Hannah (Cordis). ... John Charles Frémont (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890), was an American military officer, explorer, the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States, and the first presidential candidate of a major party to run on a platform in opposition to slavery. ...

A replica of the first "Bear Flag" now at El Presidio de Sonoma, or Sonoma Barracks.

On June 15, 1846, some 30 non-Mexican settlers, mostly Americans, staged a revolt and seized the small Mexican garrison in Sonoma. They raised the "Bear Flag" of the California Republic over Sonoma. It lasted one week until the U.S. Army, led by Fremont, took over on June 23. The California state flag today is based on this original Bear Flag, and continues to contain the words "California Republic." This photo is in the domain, and can be found on a number of websites. ... This photo is in the domain, and can be found on a number of websites. ... This mission was established in 1836 by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo (the Commanclate-General of the Northern Frontier of Alta California) as a part of Mexicos strategy to halt Russian incursions into the region. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Sonoma City Hall in the town plaza Sonoma is a historically significant town in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA. Sonoma is centered around its historic town plaza, a remnant of the towns Spanish colonial past. ... The modern Bear Flag of California The flag of California was first flown during the Bear Flag Revolt and was adopted by the California state legislature in 1911. ... The Bear Flag Capital Sonoma, California Language(s) English and Spanish (de facto) Government Republic President William B. Ide History  - Independence from Mexico June 14, 1846  - Annexation by the United States of America July 9, 1846 The California Republic, also called the Bear Flag Republic, was the result of a... is the 174th day of the year (175th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Commodore John Drake Sloat, on hearing of imminent war and the revolt in Sonoma, ordered his naval forces to occupy Yerba Buena (present San Francisco) on July 7 and raise the American flag. On July 15, Sloat transferred his command to Commodore Robert F. Stockton, a much more aggressive leader. Commodore Stockton put Frémont's forces under his command. On July 19th, Frémont's "California Battalion" swelled to about 160 additional men from newly arrived settlers near Sacramento, and he entered Monterey in a joint operation with some of Stockton's sailors and marines. The official word had been received -- the Mexican-American War was on. The American forces easily took over the north of California; within days, they controlled San Francisco, Sonoma, and Sutter's Fort in Sacramento. Commodore John D. Sloat John Drake Sloat (July 6, 1781 - November 28, 1867) was a commodore in the United States Navy, and in 1846 claimed California for the United States. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Commodore Robert Field Stockton Robert Field Stockton (20 August 1795–7 October 1866) was an United States naval officer, notable in the capture of California during the Mexican-American War. ... For other uses, see Monterey (disambiguation). ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Zachary Taylor Winfield Scott Stephen W. Kearney Antonio López de Santa Anna Mariano Arista Pedro de Ampudia José Mariá Flores Strength 78,790 soldiers 25,000–40,000 soldiers Casualties KIA: 1733 Total dead: 13,271 Wounded: 4,152 AWOL: 9,200+ 25,000...

In Southern California, Mexican General José Castro and Governor Pío Pico fled from Los Angeles. When Stockton's forces entered Los Angeles unresisted on August 13, 1846, the nearly bloodless conquest of California seemed complete. Stockton, however, left too small a force (36 men) in Los Angeles, and the Californios, acting on their own and without help from Mexico, led by José Mariá Flores, forced the small American garrison to retire in late September. 200 Reinforcements sent by Stockton, led by US Navy Capt William Mervine were repulsed in the Battle of Dominguez Rancho October 7 through October 9, 1846, near San Pedro, where 14 US Marines were killed. Meanwhile, General Kearny with a much reduced squadron of 100 dragoons finally reached California after a grueling march across New Mexico, Arizona and the Sonoran Desert. On December 6, 1846, They fought the Battle of San Pasqual near San Diego, California, where 18 of Kearny's troop were killed--the largest number of American casualties lost in battle in California. José Castro (born Monterey, California 1808 - died February 1860) was acting governor of Alta California in 1835, and Commandante General of the Mexican army in Alta California at the time of the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846 and the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. ... Pío de Jesus Pico IV (May 5, 1801 – September 11, 1894) was the last Mexican Governor of Alta California. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... is the 225th day of the year (226th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... A Californio was a Spanish-speaking inhabitant of Alta California who lived there when it was a part of Mexico, before it was taken by the United States after the Mexican-American War. ... General Jose Maria Flores was a Mexican, not a Californio, and a member of la otra banda. ... William Mervine (14 March 1791 - 15 September 1868) was a Rear Admiral in the United States Navy during the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. ... Well, Mexican-American, was a very long war; it lasted for two whole years. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... San Pedro is a community within Los Angeles, California, annexed in 1909 and a major seaport of the area. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... For other uses, see Dragoon (disambiguation). ... Map of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. ... Combatants United States of America Mexico Californios Commanders Stephen Watts Kearny Andrés Pico Strength 139 150 Casualties 17 killed 18 wounded 1 missing 2 killed 18 wounded The Battle of San Pasqual (also spelled San Pascual) was a military encounter that occurred during the Mexican-American War in what...

Stockton rescued Kearny's surrounded forces and with their combined force, they moved northward from San Diego, entering the Los Angeles area on January 8, 1847, linking up with Frémont's men and with American forces totaling 660 troops, they fought the Californios in the Battle of Rio San Gabriel and the next day, on January 9, 1847, they fought the Battle of La Mesa. Three days later, on January 12, 1847, the last significant body of Californios surrendered to American forces. That marked the end of the War in California. On January 13, 1847, the Treaty of Cahuenga was signed. is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants United States of America Californios, Mexico Commanders Robert F. Stockton Stephen Watts Kearny José Mariá Flores Strength U.S. naval and army forces 600 sailors, marines and dragoons Californios 160 Militia soldiers Casualties 143 80 The Battle of Rio San Gabriel was a decisive action of the California campaign... is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of La Mesa occurred on January 9, 1847 in present-day Vernon, in which the outgunned and outnumbered Californios (The Americans having rifles, the Californios fighting on horseback with only lances)almost gained the advantage, but they fell back and camped at present-day Pasadena, giving up Los... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Treaty of Cahuenga ended the fighting of the Mexican-American War in California. ...

On January 28, 1847, Army lieutenant William Tecumseh Sherman and his army unit arrived in Monterey, California as American forces in the pipeline continued to stream into California. On March 15, 1847, Col. Jonathan D. Stevenson’s Seventh Regiment of New York Volunteers of about 900 men start arriving in California. All of these men were in place when gold was discovered in January 1848. is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, marked the end of the Mexican-American War. In that treaty, the United States agreed to pay Mexico $18,250,000; Mexico formally ceded California (and other northern territories) to the United States, and the first international boundary was drawn between the US and Mexico by treaty. The previous boundary was negotiated in 1819 between Spain and the United States in the Adams-Onís Treaty, which had established the present border between California and Oregon. San Diego Bay is one of the only natural harbors in California south of San Francisco, and to claim all this strategic water, the border was slanted to include it in California. The Mexican Cession (red) and the Gadsden Purchase (orange). ... is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Map showing results of the Adams-Onís Treaty. ...

Gold Rush

Main article: California Gold Rush

In January 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in the Sierra Nevada foothills about 40 miles east of Sacramento — beginning the California Gold Rush, which had the most extensive impact on population growth of the state of any era [4] [5]. The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) began shortly after January 24, 1848 (when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill in Coloma). ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Sutters Mill in 1850. ... This article is about the mountain range in the Western United States. ... Sacramento redirects here. ... The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) began shortly after January 24, 1848 (when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill in Coloma). ...

The miners and merchants settled in towns along what is now State Highway 49, and settlements sprang up along the Siskiyou Trail as gold was discovered elsewhere in California (notably in Siskiyou County). The nearest deep-water seaport was San Francisco Bay, and San Francisco became the home for bankers who financed exploration for gold. The Siskiyou Trail stretched from Californias Central Valley to Oregons Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path. ... Siskiyou County is a county located in far northernmost California, in the Cascade Mountains on the Oregon border. ... San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, and the Golden Gate San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. ...

The Gold Rush brought the world to California. By 1855, some 300,000 "Forty-Niners" had arrived from every continent; many soon left, of course--some rich, most not very rich. A precipitous drop in the Native American population occurred in the decade after the discovery of gold. The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) began shortly after January 24, 1848 (when gold was discovered at Sutters Mill in Coloma). ...

Statehood: 1849-1850

In 1847-49, California was run by the U.S. military; local government continued to be run by alcaldes (mayors) in most places; but now some were Americans. Bennett Riley, the last military governor, called a constitutional convention to meet in Monterey in September 1849. Its 48 delegates were mostly pre-1846 American settlers; 8 were Californios. They unanimously outlawed slavery and set up a state government that operated for 10 months before California was given official statehood by Congress on September 9, 1850 as part of the Compromise of 1850. ^[8] A series of small towns including Benicia were used briefly as the state capital until Sacramento was finally selected in 1854. is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the game, see: 1850 (board game) 1850 (MDCCCL) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday [1] of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Henry Clay takes the floor of the Old Senate Chamber; Millard Fillmore presides as Calhoun and Webster look on. ...

The Civil War

Main article: California and the Civil War

Because of the distance factor, California played a minor role in the American Civil War. Although some settlers sympathized with the Confederacy, they were not allowed to organize and their newspapers were closed down. Former Senator William Gwin, a Confederate sympathizer, was arrested and fled to Europe. Powerful capitalists dominated in Californian politics through their control of mines, shipping, and finance controlled the state through the new Republican party. Nearly all the men who volunteered as soldiers stayed in the West to guard facilities. Some 2,350 men in the California Column marched east across Arizona in 1862 to expel the Confederates from Arizona and New Mexico. The California Column spent most of its energy fighting hostile Indians. The J.P. Gillis Flag. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... William McKendree Gwin (October 9, 1805–September 3, 1885) was an American medical doctor and politician. ... The California Column, a force of nearly 2,000 Union volunteers, marched from April to August 1862 over 900 miles from California, across the southern New Mexico Territory to the Rio Grande and then into western Texas. ...

Labor

In his maiden speech before the United States Senate, California Senator David C. Broderick stated, "There is no place in the Union, no place on earth, where labor is so honored and so well rewarded..." as in California. Early immigrants to California came with skills in many trades and some had come from places where workers were being organized. California's labor movements began in San Francisco, the only large city in California for decades and once the center of trade-unionism west of the Rockies. Los Angeles remained an open-shop stronghold for half a century until unions from the north collaborated to make California a union state. Because of San Francisco's relative isolation, skilled workers could make demands that their counterparts on the East coast could not. Printer's first attempted to organize in 1850, teamsters, draymen, lightermen, riggers and stevedores in 1851, bakers and bricklayers in 1852, caulkers, carpenters, plasterers, brickmasons, blacksmiths and shipwrights in 1853 and musicians in 1856. all these efforts required several starts to become stabilized, they did earn better pay and working conditions and began the long efforts of state labor legislation. Between 1850 and 1870, legislation making provisions for payment of wages, the mechanic's lien and the eight hour day. It was said that during the last half of the nineteenth century more San Francisco worker's enjoyed an eight hour day than any other American city. The molders' and boilermakers' strike of 1864 was called in opposition to a newly formed iron-works employers association which threatened a one thousand dollar a day fine on any employer who granted the strikers' demands and had wired for strikebreakers across the country. The San Francisco Trades Union, the city's first central labor body sent a delegation to meet a boatload of strikebreakers at Panama and educated them. They arrived in San Francisco as enrolled union members. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

After the Civil War ended in 1865, California continued to grow rapidly. Independent miners were largely displaced by large corporate mining operations. Railroads began to be built, and both the railroad companies and the mining companies began to hire large numbers of laborers. The decisive event was the opening of the transcontinental railroad in 1869; six days by train brought a traveler from Chicago to San Francisco, compared to six months by ship. The era of comparative protection for California labor ended with the arrival of the railroad. For decades after, labor oppressed the Chinese and politicians pushed anti-Chinese legislation.

Importation of slaves or so-called "contract" labor was fought by miners and city workers and made illegal through legislation in 1852.

The first statewide federated labor body was the Mechanics' State Council that champooned the eight-hour day against the employers 1867 "Ten Hour League". the Mechanics' State Council affiliated with the National Labor Union. America's first national union effort. By 1872 Chinese workers comprised half of all factory workers in San Francisco and were paid wages far below white workers. "The Chinese must Go!" was the slogan of Dennis Kearney, a prominent labor leader in San Francisco. He appeared on the scene in 1877 and led sand lot vigilantes that roamed the city beating Chinese and wrecking their businesses. The National Labor Union was the first national labor federation in the United States. ...

Two times, the seamen of the west coast had tried to organize a union, but were defeated. In 1875, the Seaman's Protective Association was established and began the struggle for wages and conditions on ships. The effort was joined by Henry George, editor of the San Francisco Post. The legislative struggle to enforce laws against brutal ship's captains and the requirement that two thirds of sailors be Americans was proposed and the effort was carried for thirty years by Andrew Furuseth and the Sailors' Union of the Pacific after 1908, and the International Seamen's Union of America. The Coast's Seamen's Journal was founded in 1887, for years the most important labor journal in California. Henry George Henry George (September 2, 1839 – October 29, 1897) was an American political economist and the most influential proponent of the Single Tax on land. ... Andrew Furuseth (March 12, 1854 - January 22, 1938) of Romedal, Norway[1] was a merchant seaman and an American labor leader. ...

Concurrently, waterfront organizing led to the Maritime Federation of the Pacific.

see: History of California 1900 to present. This article continues the history of California in the years 1900 and later; for events through 1899, see History of California to 1899. ...

Labor politics and the rise of Nativism

Thousands of Chinese men arrived in California to work as laborers, recruited by industry as low wage workers. Over time, conflicts in the gold fields and cities created prejudices between white and Chinese laborers. The decade long depression after the Railroad was completed, white workers began to lay blame on the Chinese laborers. Many Chinese were expelled from the mine fields. Some returned to China after the Central Pacific was built. Those who stayed mostly moved to the Chinatown in San Francisco and a few other cities, where they were relatively safe from violent attacks they suffered elsewhere.

From 1850 through 1900, anti-Chinese nativist sentiment resulted in the passage of innumerable laws, many of which remained in effect well into the middle of the 20th century. The most flagrant episode was probably the creation and ratification of a new state constitution in 1879. Thanks to vigorous lobbying by the anti-Chinese Workingmen's Party, led by Dennis Kearney (an immigrant from Ireland), Article XIX, section 4 forbade corporations from hiring Chinese coolies, and empowered all California cities and counties to completely expel Chinese persons or to limit where they could reside. It was repealed in 1952. The term Nativism is used in both politics and psychology in two fundamentally different ways. ... Dennis Kearney (1847–1907) was a California political leader in the late 19th century, known for his anti-immigrant political views toward Chinese immigrants. ...

The 1879 constitutional convention also dispatched a message to Congress pleading for strong immigration restrictions, which led to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. The Act was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1889, and it would not be repealed by Congress until 1943. Similar sentiments led to the development of the Gentlemen's Agreement with Japan, by which Japan voluntarily agreed to restrict emigration to the United States. California also passed an Alien Land Act which barred aliens, especially Asians, from holding title to land. Because it was difficult for people born in Asia to obtain U.S. citizenship until the 1960s, land ownership titles were held by their American-born children, who were full citizens. The law was overturned by the California Supreme Court as unconstitutional in 1952. This article is about the former U.S. law. ... The Gentlemens Agreement of 1907 ) was an informal agreement between the United States and the Empire of Japan regarding immigration and racial segregation. ... Asian people[1] is a demonym for people from Asia. ... The Supreme Court of California is the state supreme court in California. ...

In 1886, when a Chinese laundry owner challenged the constitutionality of a San Francisco ordinance clearly designed to drive Chinese laundries out of business, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor, and in doing so, laid the theoretical foundation for modern equal protection constitutional law. See Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356 (1886). Meanwhile, even with severe restrictions on Asian immigration, tensions between unskilled workers and wealthy landowners persisted up to and through the Great Depression. Novelist Jack London writes of the struggles of workers in the city of Oakland in his visionary classic, Valley of the Moon, a title evoking the pristine situation of Sonoma County between sea and mountains, Redwoods and Oaks, fog and sunshine. Italian street, with laundry hung to dry Laundry can be: items of clothing and other textiles that require washing the act of washing clothing and textiles the room of a house in which this is done // Man and woman washing linen in a brook, from William Henry Pynes Microcosm... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Holding Racially discriminatory application of a facially neutral statute violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... For other persons named Jack London, see Jack London (disambiguation). ... Oakland redirects here. ... Sonoma County is on the northwest coast of California, one of the northernmost parts of the greater San Francisco Bay Area, U.S. Its population at the 2000 census was 458,614. ... This article is about the species commonly called Coast Redwood. For the species commonly called Giant Sequoia, see Sequoiadendron. ... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from Latin oak tree), which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably...

Rise of the railroads

Main article: California and the railroads

The establishment of America's transcontinental rail lines permanently linked California to the rest of the country, and the far-reaching transportation systems that grew out of them during the century that followed contributed immeasurably to the state’s unrivaled social, political, and economic development. The establishment of Americas transcontinental rail lines securely linked California to the rest of the country, and the far-reaching transportation systems that grew out of them during the century that followed contributed to the state’s social, political, and economic development. ... A Transcontinental Railroad is a railway that crosses a continent typically from sea to sea. Terminals are at or connected to different oceans. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Notes

The so-called Drakes Plate of Brass. ... is the 83rd day of the year (84th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

Surveys

• Hubert Howe Bancroft. The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, vol 18-24, History of California to 1890; complete text online; written in the 1880s, this is the most detailed history,
• Robert W. Cherny, Richard Griswold del Castillo, and Gretchen Lemke-Santangelo. Competing Visions: A History of California (2005), new textbook
• Gutierrez, Ramon A. and Richard J. Orsi (ed.) Contested Eden: California before the Gold Rush (1998), essays by scholars
• Carolyn Merchant, ed. Green Versus Gold: Sources In California's Environmental History (1998) readings in primary and secondary sources
• Rawls, James and Walton Bean (2003). California: An Interpretive History. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY. ISBN 0-07-052411-4.  8th edition of standard textbook
• Rice, Richard B., William A. Bullough, and Richard J. Orsi. Elusive Eden: A New History of California 3rd ed (2001), standard textbook
• Rolle, Andrew F. . California: A History 6th ed. (2003), standard textbook
• Starr, Kevin California: A History (2005), interpretive history
• Sucheng, Chan, and Spencer C. Olin, eds. Major Problems in California History (1996), primary and secondary documents

to 1846

• Beebe (ed.), Rose Marie; Senkewicz, Robert M. (ed.) (2001). Lands of promise and despair; chronicles of early California, 1535-1846. Santa Clara, Calif.: Santa Clara University. , primary sources
• Camphouse, M. (1974). Guidebook to the Missions of California. Anderson, Ritchie & Simon, Los Angeles, CA. ISBN 0-378-03792-7. 
• Chartkoff, Joseph L.; Chartkoff, Kerry Kona (1984). The archaeology of California. Stanford: Stanford University Press. 
• Charles E. Chapman; A History of California: The Spanish Period Macmillan, 1991
• Dillon, Richard (1975). Siskiyou Trail. New York: McGraw Hill. 
• Fagan, Brian (2003). Before California: An archaeologist looks at our earliest inhabitants. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 
• Heizer, Robert F. (1974). The destruction of California Indians. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. 
• Albert L. Hurtado, John Sutter: A Life on the North American Frontier (2006) University of Oklahoma Press, 416 pp. ISBN 0-8061-3772-X.
• Johnson, P., ed. (1964). The California Missions. Lane Book Company, Menlo Park, CA. 
• McLean, James (2000). California Sabers. Indiana University Press. 
• Kent Lightfoot. Indians, Missionaries, and Merchants: The Legacy of Colonial Encounters on the California Frontiers (2004)
• Moorhead, Max L. (1991). The Presidio: Bastion Of The Spanish Borderlands. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. ISBN 0-8061-2317-6. 
• Moratto, Michael J.; Fredrickson, David A. (1984). California archaeology. Orlando: Academic Press. 
• Utley, Robert M. (1997). A life wild and perilous; mountain men and the paths to the Pacific. New York: Henry Holt and Co.. 
• Wright, R. (1950). California's Missions. Hubert A. and Martha H. Lowman, Arroyo Grande, CA. 
• Young, S., and Levick, M. (1988). The Missions of California. Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, CA. ISBN 0-8118-1938-8. 

The Santa Clara Mission is a notable on-campus landmark. ... The University of Oklahoma Press is a university press that is part of the University of Oklahoma. ...

1846-1900

• Brands, H.W. The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream (2003)
• Burchell, Robert A. "The Loss of a Reputation; or, The Image of California in Britain before 1875," California Historical Quarterly 53 (Summer I974): 115-30, stories about Gold Rush lawlessness slowed immigration for two decades
• Burns, John F. and Richard J. Orsi, eds; Taming the Elephant: Politics, Government, and Law in Pioneer California University of California Press, 2003
• Drager, K., and Fracchia, C. (1997). The Golden Dream: California from Gold Rush to Statehood. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, Portland, OR. ISBN 1-55868-312-7. 
• Hunt, Aurora (1951). Army of the Pacific. Arthur Clark Company. 
• Jelinek, Lawrence. Harvest Empire: A History of California Agriculture (1982) (ISBN 0-87835-131-0)
• McAfee, Ward. California's Railroad Era, 1850-1911 (1973)
• Olin, Spencer. California Politics, 1846-1920 (1981)
• Pitt, Leonard. The Decline of the Californios: A Social History of the Spanish-Speaking Californians, 1846-1890 (1966) (ISBN 0-520-01637-8)
• Saxton, Alexander. The Indispensable Enemy: Labor and the Anti-Chinese Movement in California (1971) (ISBN 0-520-02905-4)
• Starr, Kevin. Americans and the California Dream, 1850-1915 (1986)
• Starr, Kevin and Richard J. Orsi eds. Rooted in Barbarous Soil: People, Culture, and Community in Gold Rush California (2001), articles by scholars
• Strobridge, William F. (1994). Regulars in the Redwoods, The U.S. Army in Northern California, 1852-1861. Arthur Clark Company. 
• Tutorow , Norman E. Leland Stanford Man of Many Careers(1971)
• Williams, R. Hal. The Democratic Party and California Politics, 1880-1896 (1973)

See also

• California
• Las Californias
• Alta California
• List of pre-statehood governors of California
• Maritime history of California
• Politics of California to 1899
• Califia
• Calafia
• Cali (disambiguation)
• Origin of the name California
• History of the west coast of North America

This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alta California (Upper California) was formed in 1804 when the province of California, then a part of the Spanish colony of New Spain, was divided in two along the line separating the Franciscan missions in the north from the Dominican missions in the south. ... This is a list of pre-statehood governors of California. ... Map showing Island of California, circa 1650 Maritime history of California is a term used to describe significant past events relating to the U.S. State of California in areas concerning shipping, shipwrecks, and military installations and lighthouses constructed to protect or aid navigation and development of the state. ... California State Capitol in Sacramento, California // Following the declaration of the independent California Republic in 1846, and the armed conquest of California by United States military forces and American volunteers during the Mexican-American War, California was administered by the U.S. military from 1846 to 1850. ... Califia (or Calafia) is the name of a legendary Black Amazon warrior queen, associated with the mythical Island of California. ... Califia (or Calafia) is the name of a legendary Black Amazon warrior queen, associated with the mythical Island of California. ... Cali may refer to: Santiago de Cali, the capital of the Valle del Cauca department in Colombia Slang or short for California, a state in the United States Cali (singer), a French singer Category: ... It has been suggested that Califas be merged into this article or section. ... The west coast of North America consists of the modern American states of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and arguably Alaska and parts of the Yukon. ...

External links

• Gold, Greed & Genocide
• "African Ancestry in California: More about Queen Califia" at the AfriGeneas: African Ancestored Genealogy official website.
• Museum of the Siskiyou Trail
• "Snakes in the Grass: Copperheads in Contra Costa?" article by William Mero at the Contra Costa County Historical Society official website.
• "Why it's called 'California' ", an excerpt from a doctoral dissertation by Craig Chalquist.
• The French in Early California
• The Bear Flag Museum
• Bancroft History of California Vol V. Bear Flag Revolt

American history redirects here. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of... Alabama State Flag This is the history of the State of Alabama, in the United States of America. ... Alaska in 1895 (Rand McNally). ... The first Native Americans arrived in Arizona between 16,000 BC and 10,000 BCE, while the history of Arizona as recorded by Europeans began when Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan, explored the area in 1539. ... Arkansas was the 25th state admitted to the United States. ... A field of California golden poppies circa 1910. ... In the history of Colorado, the first inhabitants of what was to become the State of Colorado were the American Indians. ... The History of Connecticut begins as a number of unrelated colonial villages. ... The History of Delaware is the story of a small American state, in the middle of heart of the nation, and yet until recently often isolated and even invisible to outsiders. ... Five flags of Florida (not including the current State Flag of Florida). ... The history of Hawaii includes phases of early Polynesian settlement, British discovery, Euro-American and Asian immigration, the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, a brief period of existing as a Republic, and admission to the United States as a territory and then a state. ... The History of Idaho is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Idaho, a geographical area in the Pacific Northwest (PNW, or PacNW) area on or near the west coast of United States and Canada. ... // Pre-Columbian Cahokia, the urban center of the pre-Columbian Mississippian culture, was located near present-day Collinsville, Illinois. ... This article should appear in one or more categories. ... This is the history of the U.S. state of Iowa. ... The history of Kansas is rich with the lore of the American West. ... The history of Kentucky spans hundreds of years, and has been influenced by the states diverse geography and central location. ... The history of Louisiana is long and rich. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Great Seal of Maryland. ... This is the History of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, a state in the United States. ... The following is a timeline of the history of Michigan, USA. // Early European 1620 Étienne Brûlé and his fellow explorers from Grenoble, France, were probably the first white men to see Lake Superior. ... The history of Minnesota concerns the state of Minnesota that forms part of the United States of America. ... // Native Americans Mississippi was part of the Mississippian culture in the early part of the second millennium AD; descendant Native American tribes include the Chickasaw and Choctaw. ... This article is about the history of the U.S. state of Missouri. ... Native Americans were the first inhabitants of modern-day Montana. ... The history of the U.S. state of Nebraska dates back to its formation as a territory by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed by the United States Congress on May 30, 1854. ... New Hampshire is a state of the United States of America located in the countrys Northeastern region. ... The written history of New Jersey began with the exploration of the Jersey Coast by Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, though the region had been settled for millennia by Native Americans. ... The History of New Mexico was first recorded by the Spanish who encountered Native American Pueblos when they explored the area in the 1500s. ... New York, the Empire State has been at the center of American politics, finance, industry, transportation and culture since it was created by the Dutch in the 17th century. ... History of North Carolina For the state today see North Carolina // Bibliography Surveys James Clay and Douglas Orr, eds. ... First Nations in the region 1789: Louisiana and Ruperts Land 1803: US buys Louisiana 1812: Louisiana Territory renamed Missouri Territory 1861: Dakota Territory formed 1889: North Dakota statehood North Dakota was first settled by Native Americans several thousand years ago. ... Serpent Mound, Ohio, USA Hopewell Mound, Ohio, USA 1775 Ohio is not part of the original 13 colonies, but is part of British territories 1789 U.S. constitution, present day is part of an unorganized territory. ... This article is about the History of Oklahoma. ... Official language(s) None Capital Salem Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 9th  - Total 98,466 sq mi (255,026 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 2. ... The History of Pennsylvania is as varied as any in the American experience and reflects the melting pot vision of the United States. ... The history of Rhode Island includes the history of Rhode Island from pre-colonial times (1636) to modern day. ... South Carolina is one of the original states of the United States of America, and its history has been remarkable for an extraordinary commitment to political independence, whether from overseas or federal control. ... The Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville has been the sight of much of the States history. ... The history of Texas (as part of the United States) began in 1845, but settlement of the region dates back to the end of the Upper Paleolithic Period, around 10,000 BC. Its history has been shaped by being part of six independent countries: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of... The History of Utah (IPA: ) is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Utah located in the western United States. ... Mount Mansfield, at 4,393 feet, is the highest elevation point in Vermont. ... The recorded History of Virginia began with settlement of the geographic region now known as the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States thousands of years ago by Native Americans. ... Washingtons current flag. ... West Virginia is the only American state formed as a direct result of the American Civil War. ... Wisconsin became a state on May 29, 1848, but the land that makes up the state has been occupied by humans for thousands of years. ... Federal districts are subdivisions of a federal system of government. ... Aerial photo of Washington, D.C. The history of Washington, D.C. is tied intrinsically to its role as the capital of the United States. ... An insular area is United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia, the nations federal district. ... American Samoa is the result of the Second Samoan Civil War and an agreement made between Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom in 1899. ... The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is a commonwealth in political union with the United States of America at a strategic location in the West Pacific Ocean. ... Puerto Rico The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the archipelago of Puerto Rico by the Ortoiroid people between 3000 and 2000 BC. Other tribes, such as the Saladoid and Arawak Indians, populated the island between 430 BC and 1000 AD. At the time of Christopher Columbus... The United States Virgin Islands, often abbreviated USVI, is a group of islands and cays in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. ... The flag of the United States is used for all of the United States Minor Outlying Islands The United States Minor Outlying Islands, a statistical designation defined by ISO 3166-1, consists of nine insular United States possessions: All of these islands are in the Pacific Ocean except Navassa Island... Baker Island is an uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean at 0°13′ N, 176°31′ W, about 3,100 km (1,675 nautical miles) southwest of Honolulu. ... Orthographic projection centered over Howland Island. ... Jarvis Island (formerly also known as Bunker Island[1]) is an uninhabited 4. ... Johnston Atoll is a 2. ... Kingman Reef is a one-square-kilometer tropical coral reef located in the North Pacific Ocean, roughly half way between Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa at 6°24 N, 162°24 W. It is the northernmost of the Northern Line Islands and an unincorporated territory of the United States administered... Navassa Island map from The World Factbook Navassa Island - NASA NLT Landsat 7 (Visible Color) Satellite Image Navassa Island (La Navase in French, Lanavaz in Haitian Kreyòl) is a small, uninhabited island in the Caribbean Sea. ... Wake Island is an atoll (having a coastline of 19. ...