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The California Gold Rush
In 1848, California had recently been annexed by the United States. The discovery of a soft, shiny metal in January of that…
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The Portolá Expedition and the Discovery of the San Francisco Bay
In 1769, Spain feared it was about to lose the Pacific coast. Russian traders were moving south from Alaska, British naval power…
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Routes to Mexican California
In the early decades of the nineteenth century, growing numbers of people came to Alta California. The routes they took and the…
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“The Americanos Played for Keeps”
In his memoirs about life in rancho era California, José Jesús López describes how his father joined the "California Army."
