History
Located on the West Coast, California is the most populous state in America, home to one out of every eight Americans. California enjoys a rich and diverse cultural history; parts of the state had been possessions of Spain, Mexico and Russia before statehood. It is also home spectacular, wondrous and enchanting natural beauty, leading to several areas of the state being named national parks, such as Yosemite.
Geography and Climate
California is home to a diverse range of ecosystems, including desert, mountains, chaparral and fertile valleys. The coastline is dominated by the Cascade mountain range, while the Sierra Nevada mountain range stretches along its eastern border with Nevada and Arizona. Between the two ranges is a basin, separated by the join of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The northern section of the basin, the Sacramento Valley, feeds into its namesake river, while the San Joaquin Valley does the same in the south. Located along the boundary between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates as part of the Ring of Fire, the state is geologically active, home to several volcanos and fault lines. The most famous fault line, San Andreas, stretches along the coast and is responsible for several famous earthquakes, including the 1906 San Francisco, 1989 Loma Prieta and 1994 North Ridge earthquakes. Many of the deserts are concentrated in the rain shadow of the state's mountain ranges and include the Mojave Desert and Death Valley; the lowest, driest and hottest location on the North American continent.
The state's climate is just as diverse as its physical features. Much of the state enjoys a Mediterranean climate with cool, rainy winters and dry, hot summers. Its coastline, including the San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas are cooled by the ocean and remain cooler than other cities on the East Coast that share their latitude, but temperatures increase quickly just a few miles inland. Roughly 45% of the state is covered with forest, an amount rivalled only by Alaska. Northern California recieves more rainfall annually than the southern part of the state, though the western slopes of its mountains receive the most precipitation.
Pre-Columbian California
California was home to a diverse Native American population, estimated to range from 100,000 to 300,000. These groups included nomadic tribes, villages and even chiefdoms, such as those of the Chumash, Pomo and Salinian tribes. European exploration in the area began under Spanish captain Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, though English explorer Francis Drake claimed an unknown part of the coast for England. Colonization began in earnest when the Spanish began to send missionaries into the area and establishing presidios (forts) and pueblos (small towns). Two of these pueblos, Los Angeles and San Jose, are now two of the most populous cities in the United States.
Spanish Colony
The Spanish territories in the area were divided into two parts: Baja California and Alta California; Alta California, which began roughly at San Diego, included the current state as well as Arizona and much of Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. As missionary activity and settlement continued, the Californias were incorporated into the Viceroyalty of New Spain with Monterey as the capital. A dispute between Spanish King Charles III and the Jesuit order led to the expulsion of the Jesuits, responsible for founding many of the Californian missions, from the territory. The Jesuits were later allowed to return following the Seven Years' War that eliminated France as a colonizing power in North America; the Spanish feared that the British would claim the vacated areas as their own. The Spanish attempted to colonize and incorporate the Californias with as cheaply and with as little effort as they could. The territory at that time was remote, difficult to farm and subject to a plethora of Native uprisings against Spanish settlements. By the time Mexico won its independence from Spain, only six major pueblos existed in California: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Villa de Branciforte (now Santa Cruz) and San Jose.
Mexico
When Mexico established its independence, California became one of three Mexican provinces north of the Rio Grande, with Texas and New Mexico. Monterey remained the capital under Mexican rule as well. Mexican jurisdiction of California continued as it had under the Spanish, with Alta California remaining largely remote and sparsely populated. Even as missions disappeared or were confiscated by the Mexican government, trade continued unabated thanks to the territory's abundant resources and superb natural harbors, despite several revolts against Mexican rule. American settlers began to enter the area, and would grow increasingly numerous and organized.
In 1839, John Sutter was given a large land grant close to present-day Sacramento, which he called "New Helvetia" (New Switzerland). When the Russians abandoned their Californian outpost of Fort Ross, he bought much of their equipment for use in his own fort, Sutter's Fort, the first non-Native American settlement in the Central Valley of California. His fort would serve as an important stop along the California and Oregon Trails, offering rest and provisions for the American settlers moving west.
The Bear Flag Republic
When tensions between Mexico and the United States erupted into war, California asserted its independence at Sonoma on June 14, 1846, with William B. Ide as the only president of the California Republic. Their short-lived and unrecognized republic was also known as the Bear Flag Republic because of the inclusion of a bear on the republic's flag. The California Republic lasted only a few weeks, when it was annexed by the United States on July 9; the capture of Alta California had been one of President James K. Polk's principal war aims.
The Gold Rush
Though several engagements occurred in California following its annexation, there was relatively little resistance to American rule. Following the end of the war and the formal cessation of California to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, settlers began to flock to the territory as a result of the discovery of gold deposits. Called Argonauts, these settlers hoped to strike it rich and find opportunities unavailable back east, especially for women. Shipping and trade boomed as the population rose, and San Francisco was designated as the territory's official port of entry. Agriculture spread as the new cities and towns of California grew, resulting in the eviction of Native Americans from their traditional lands. The gold mining also resulted in significant ecological damage as more invasive and labor-intensive methods began to be used when the easy gold deposits disappeared.
The State of California
As the population boomed, California began to organize itself for statehood. Though some Native American tribes in the northwest practiced slavery, it was outlawed in the state constitution of 1849. A year later, California entered the Union as a free state as part of the Compromise of 1850. The state was spared many of the horrors of the Civil War, and continued to be a focal point of economic development through the late 1800s. Its progress was further fueled by the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, providing a direct link between the West and East Coasts. As the automobile grew into prominence during the early 1900s, famous roadways such as Route 66 were established. California would also feel the sting of labor disputes as unions grew on power, and the state would be a common destination for the newly disenfranchised of the Great Depression. The state's industry would benefit from the outbreak of World War II, as its coastal cities, particularly San Diego, boomed to construct the ships and other tools of war needed to fight the Axis. The growing movie industry would also settle in southern California, establishing a cultural nexus there.
California Today
Today, California continues to serve as a center of industry, culture and tourism and its influence continues to grow. Immigration from within and without the United States continues to fuel tensions in the state. Even as California became the center of technological innovation as the home of Silicon Valley, the state struggles to solve mounting energy, water and ecological issues to preserve its own health and natural beauty.
