California History Guide

Long before European explorers probed into this land called California, its Stone Age, mostly Asian inhabitants, arrived here by traversing the Bering Strait, and over the centuries that followed a wide variety of cultures developed and prospered. Later, still before the European explorers, several Native American groups inhabited the area. Yuma, Maidu, Pomo, Hupa and Paiute tribes were some of these.

The Portuguese navigator, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, arrived along the California coastline in 1542. His two-ship expedition came ashore in San Diego Bay and he claimed the land for the Spanish Crown. In 1579, English explorer Francis Drake also sailed along the California coast, claiming much of the land for England. Spain continued to send many expeditions to the California coast; Sebastian Vizcarno named many of its landmarks.

Spanish missionaries began setting up twenty-one California Missions along the coast of what became known as Alta California (Upper California), together with small towns and presidios. The first mission in Alta California was established at San Diego in 1769. In 1821, the Mexican War of Independence gave Mexico (including California), independence from Spain; for the next twenty-five years, Alta California remained a remote northern province of the nation of Mexico.

Beginning in the 1820s, trappers and settlers from the United States and Canada began to arrive in Northern California, harbingers of the great changes that would later sweep the Mexican territory. These new arrivals used the Siskiyou Trail, California Trail, Oregon Trail, and Old Spanish Trail to cross the rugged mountains and harsh deserts surrounding California. In this period, Imperial Russia explored the California coast and established a trading post at Fort Ross.

In 1846, settlers rebelled against Mexican rule during the Bear Flag Revolt. Afterwards, rebels raised the Bear Flag (featuring a bear, a star, a red stripe, and the words "California Republic") at Sonoma. The California Republic was short lived. The same year marked the outbreak of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). When Commodore John D. Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into Monterey Bay and began the military occupation of California by the United States. Northern California capitulated in less than a month to the U.S. forces.

On Jan. 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill, starting the California Gold Rush and bringing settlers to the state in large numbers. A flood of 100,000 immigrants from around the world rushed to California searching for the golden riches. By 1964, California had surpassed New York to become the most populous state.

California became the 31st state on September 9, 1850, and the first capital was based in San Jose. That city, along with Benicia and Vallejo (future capital cities) all eventually proved too small and unacceptable, so the capital was finally established in Sacramento. By 1870, railroads connected California with the eastern U.S. and thousands of people continued to migrate west. Huge numbers of Chinese workers came to work on the railroads. During the 1880s, a depression in California led to unemployment and rioting in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Many thought the Chinese were to blame for the depression because they would work for little pay.

The opening of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 (the first transcontinental road in the United States) connected Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, and became the major stimulus for development in California. In 1926, the fabled Route 66 opened, again offering more ease of development into the now fast-growing "Golden State."

From 1900 to 1965, the population of California grew from fewer than one million to become the most populated state in the U.S., and its population today is one of the most diverse in the world.

Leading industries include agriculture, manufacturing (transportation equipment, machinery, and electronic equipment), biotechnology, aerospace-defense, and tourism. Principal natural resources include timber, petroleum, cement, and natural gas.

Death Valley, in the southeast, is 282 ft below sea level, the lowest point in the nation. Mt. Whitney (14,491 ft) is the highest point in the contiguous 48 states. Lassen Peak is one of two active U.S. volcanoes outside of Alaska and Hawaii; its last eruptions were recorded in 1917.

California Famous People

• Marcus Allen (1960 -) Football player.  A six-time Pro Bowler, Allen was also the MVP of Super Bowl XVIII; born in San Diego.
• Shirley Temple Black (1928 - ) 1930s child actress and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; born in Santa Monica.
• Robert Bower (1936 - ) Inventor; born in Santa Monica.
• Joe DiMaggio (1914 - 1999) Famous baseball player who won two batting championships and three MVP awards; born in Martinez.
• Walt Disney (1901 - 1966) Creator of Mickey Mouse and founder of the Disneyland® and Walt Disney World® Theme Parks; lived in Hollywood.
• James H. Doolittle (1896 - 1993) Air force general who led the first carrier-based bomber attack on mainland Japan in 1942; born in Alameda
• Robert Frost (1874 - 1963) One of America's leading 20th-century poets and a four-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize; born in San Francisco.
• Jack London (1876 -1916) Author of many novels about the vast Western frontiers, such as Call of the Wild; born in San Francisco.
• George Lucas (1944 - ) Filmmaker and the mastermind behind the Star Wars features; born in Modesto.
• Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962) Famous 1950's actress and considered one of the most famous woman of the 20th Century; born in Los Angeles.
• Richard M. Nixon (1913 - 1994) 37th President of the U.S.; born in Yorba Linda.
• Sally K. Ride (1951 -) Astronaut and first American woman in space; born in Los Angeles.
• John Steinbeck (1902 -1968) Author known for famous works such as Tortilla Flat and Of Mice and Men; born in Salinas.
• Eldrick "Tiger" Woods (1975 - ) Famous golfer who has revolutionized the sport since becoming a pro in 1996; born in Cypress.