the exploration and settlement of california. we know things now that the spaniards didn’t in 1760
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THE EXPLORATION AND THE EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT OF SETTLEMENT OF
CALIFORNIACALIFORNIA
We know things now that the Spaniards didn’t in
1760
And, as students (all of us), And, as students (all of us), we are seekers of knowledgewe are seekers of knowledge
However, what we seek is scattered in a thousand
places
But, then, we have many resources
We gather scattered things to make a coherent
whole
Setting the stage--CaliforniaSetting the stage--CaliforniaThe early periodThe early period
~~40,000 to 340 years BP~~40,000 to 340 years BP
Early hominid history N. America and Asia
collided ~25 million years BP and B. Strait becomes a sometimes bridge
Out of Africa ~~5 million years BP
to N.A. ~40,000 BP—maybe several times
The Spanish PeriodThe Spanish Period
• ~1500-1700’s Spanish slowly spread through central and South America
• 1542-3 Cabrillo explored parts of West coast• 1760’s conflict between sects within Spanish
Catholic church leads to ascendancy of Franciscan order
• 1769 Don Gaspar de Portola’ left Alta California to explore northward, find Monterey Bay, and claim all for Spain
Setting the stage—California
what was known in 1700 Much of
California’s coast had been examined by Spanish ships
A grand bay was reported at Monterey – 36.7o N
Setting the stagenavigation technology
Latitude could be determined accurately
Longitude was a guess
First PartPortola’s orders
Take a party of ~200 to San Diego
Establish a presidio-a place to garrison solders
First jobget to San Diego
Set out in early spring
Never been done ~~4 months to San
Diego; several lost Leave most there to
build a presidio and explore northward
North to Monterey 1 Taking
Navigator-map maker Two priests A squad of Catalonian
solders + officer A scout
Proceeded northward mostly along the coast to ‘LA’
In Los Angles (1769 -- 1948)In Los Angles (1769 -- 1948)
• Portola’ Trek—reenactment of the exploration of California--1948
• Part of California Centennial Celebration
North to Monterey 1 Continuing north
along coast to SLO North of 35o N
reports were of a rugged, impassible coast
Turned inland not knowing what to expect
North to Monterey 2 They found the
Salinas River Valley Totally unknown
and unexpected This took them all
the way to Monterey
With water, easy travel, abundant game
Monterey 1
36.7o N No ship No magnificent
harbor
Monterey 2 Portola’ explored
further north ~108 days saw
the South end of San Francisco Bay from a mountainous area
“A bay to hold all the ships of Spain”
The end of Portola’s first exploration
After another month of fruitless exploration and illness
Began the return to San Diego Route became ‘the Kings
Highway’; became the mission route established by Father Junipero Sera; became (almost) highway 101
1769-1847 U.S. mainly involved in the East U.S.
and southern coasts The interior of North America was
primarily a dry, barren barrier Spain, then Mexico (after the war of
independence) was involved only with southern and coastal California – San Francisco was the north-most administrative center
1848
End of the Mexican-American war California ceded to the U.S. as
settlement
GOLD!GOLD!1848 – discovery 1848 – discovery of gold at Sutter’s of gold at Sutter’s Mill on the Mill on the American River American River (not first)(not first)
California’s early population
1847 – European population ~ 10,000
1850 – European population ~ 50,000 in the mines; probably total of ~100,000
Ways to the gold fields--1 Ship to San
Francisco
The hazards and problemsThe hazards and problems
Ways to the gold fields -- 2 and 3
Overland
Oregon Trail To Oregon then south by Shasta or K. Falls Several branches to Immigrant (Donner)
Pass Santa Fe Trail
Branch to Mojave to Tehachapi Pass Branch to Mojave to Cajon Pass to LA Branch to Blythe and Salton Sea to LA To Yuma to San Diego to LA
The Railroads 1870’s and 80’s Most of the
passes used earlier – first was Donner, 1869, directly to Sacramento and San Francisco
Note the affects of
Gold Passes Routes across the deserts
Pre WWII California markets and
California as a whole not politically important
California oil fields began mostly 1900-1920 but petroleum not all that important--------yet; and the Gulf coast oil fields were much closer to the eastern markets
WWII and followingWWII and following
• Pacific theater of WWII
• Ship building
• Aircraft industries
• Oil for a high technology war
• Entertainment industries
• Beginnings of huge population influx
• High technology
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