Copyright © by Toucan Valley Publications, Inc.
| Source Citation
| 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.
