SOCIAL STUDIES FACT CARDS
CALIFORNIA HISTORY BY DECADES
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CALIFORNIA HISTORY BY DECADES DATABASE
Number of Cards
26
Card Description
One card for each decade from the 1760s through the 2000s; 1 card for the pre-1760s

CALIFORNIA HISTORY BY DECADES
An Overview


8000 BC - AD 1769 -- Indian California
Bands of Indians migrated to California over a period of thousands of years.  They settled, developed many unique cultures, and thrived.  They were undisturbed for centuries until a few explorers came along the coast in the 1500s and 1600s.

1769 – 1822 -- Spanish California 
Spain built the chain of missions between San Diego and San Francisco.  Spanish California was populated by Franciscan padres, soldiers and their families, and the Indians.  Settlements sprang up near some of the missions.  Around 1800, fur trappers and traders began coming, first by sea and then by land. 

1822 – 1848 -- Mexican California 
Mexico achieved independence from Spain and thus acquired California.  Mexico dismantled the mission system (1833) and encouraged secular (non-religious settlements).  The government gave many large land grants (ranchos) to Mexican citizens.  Americans and others began settling in California to get a share of the land.  

1848 – 1900 -- American California 
The United States defeated Mexico in the Mexican War (1846-48) and acquired California.  Prospectors and settlers rushed to California for gold (1849) and land.  Statehood followed in 1850 and the population soared.  A new transcontinental railroad and telegraph connected California to the rest of the United States. 

1900 – present -- Multicultural California 
Twentieth-century California is characterized by the arrival of many immigrant populations from the American Midwest, Europe, Asia, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Pacific Islands.  It is also characterized by devastating earthquakes, by boom times and busts, and by the thriving entertainment business.  

California History by Decades provides the stories of each decade, describing several events that represent and give a flavor of the times.  From the first mission to the discovery of gold to the issues of the 2000s, California’s history continues to capture the attention of the world.


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