What did Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo do and why is he important? Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo is best known for being the first European to successfully navigate the Pacific coast of what is today California to points north of the San Francisco Bay. During … [Continue reading]
For many years ranchos defined the early California lifestyle. Their impact remains with us today. … [Continue reading]
How did the Missions Affect California? Much of the culture of California has its roots in the history of the Spanish missions. And although the missions were only fully active for about 60 years, their presence had a major impact on many areas of … [Continue reading]
What was daily life like for Native Americans at Mission San Diego de Alcalá? What did they eat? What jobs did they do? An introduction to life at Alta California’s 1st Spanish Mission. Who Founded Mission San Diego de Alcalá and When Was It … [Continue reading]
Native Americans came to the California missions for a variety of reasons. Some of these were: protection from their enemies, access to stable food sources, attraction to Spanish culture and religion, fear of Spanish weapons and a desire to stay … [Continue reading]
The California missions ended after Mexico became independent of Spain. The newly independent Mexican government eventually passed laws that called for an end to the mission system through a process called “secularization.” Secularization: … [Continue reading]
The Chumash are a widespread group of California native people who lived along the southern California coast and the Santa Barbara Channel Islands. … [Continue reading]
Military commander, town founder, politician, patriarch. Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was arguably the most powerful man in northern Alta California. After the American takeover, he helped form the new state and fought to preserve the history of Spanish … [Continue reading]
Not long ago I was invited to attend a gathering at a trendy Mexican restaurant in downtown San José, California. As I walked inside, I noticed an eclectic group of professionals, from teachers to engineers, journalists to professors. The bond that … [Continue reading]
Author: Thomas Jefferson Mayfield Editor: Malcolm Margolin Illustrators: Hilair Chism, Rick Jones Paperback: 144 pages Publisher and Year: Heyday Books, 1997 As we perused the gift shop of a local history museum, I noticed my son was reading one … [Continue reading]
In the 1830's, a young man named Pablo Tac wrote about his experiences growing up at Mission San Luis Rey. It is one of the only firsthand accounts written by a Native American who lived at a mission. … [Continue reading]
Juana Briones lived in Spanish, Mexican and U.S. California and she left her mark on all three. Now she is receiving the attention she deserves. … [Continue reading]
In January of 1776, Juan Bautista de Anza arrived in Alta California with just over 200 men, women and children from Tubac in today's Arizona. … [Continue reading]
With a foreign occupier in control of Spain and the royal family in exile in France, people in the Spanish territories in the Americas found themselves at a crossroads. … [Continue reading]
With a French family on the Spanish throne, two events had an irreversible effect on Spain's relationship with her colonies. … [Continue reading]
Chumash is the name given to the original inhabitants of the central coast of California, from Morro Bay to Malibu, and three of the Channel Islands. … [Continue reading]
If you want to see a precious California landmark in the process of being saved for future generations, mark your calendar to visit the Joaquín Castro Adobe near Watsonville. … [Continue reading]
