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 was rising, and Spain had no permanent settlements north of Baja California. In response, imperial officials launched a land-and-sea operation known as the Sacred Expedition — a march that would found San Diego, search for the lost harbor of Monterey, and lead a small overland party to the first recorded European sighting of San Francisco Bay.

Overview

The Portolá Expedition (1769–1770) was the first Spanish overland exploration of coastal Alta California, organized to secure Spain’s claim against rival empires. Led by Gaspar de Portolá and supported by Fr. Junípero Serra and José de Gálvez, the expedition established San Diego, attempted to locate Monterey Bay, and instead made the first documented European discovery of San Francisco Bay. These journeys laid the foundation for Spain’s missions and presidios in California.

Early Spanish Control of the Pacific

For centuries, the Spanish Empire dominated trade between the Americas and the Far East. Spanish ships traveled across the Pacific, carrying valuable goods between Manila and Acapulco, often stopping along the coast of California.

By the middle of the 18th century, however, Spain was no longer the dominant power in the region. It found itself competing with other European empires for control of the Far East and the Pacific. In 1765, King Carlos III of Spain sent his representative, José de Gálvez, to New Spain to strengthen Spanish power there (today’s Mexico and the U.S. Southwest).

The Spanish had no permanent presence on the Pacific coast from San Diego northward, so Gálvez created a plan to establish a line of defense. His idea was to protect Spanish territories from seizure by other foreign powers, especially the British and the Russians. A Russian fur trade was already developing along Alaska’s coast, and the Spanish believed (rightly) that the Russians would eventually expand south into California. 

The real threat to Spanish control of the Pacific, however, was England. As a result of the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), known in the U.S. as the French and Indian War, the English became the most powerful nation in the world. In addition to obtaining Canada from the French, the British had acquired all Spanish territories in North America east of the Mississippi River after the Louisiana Purchase.

In the Pacific, they attacked Spanish-controlled Manila and took over the Philippines, while sea captains such as Commodore John Byron and Captain James Cook were exploring the oceans that Spain once dominated. 

Competition with empires such as Britain and Russia would ultimately lead to Spanish exploration and colonization of what is today the State of California.

An Urgent Message

In 1768, Marquis Francisco de Croix, the viceroy of New Spain (the king’s direct representative there), received an urgent report from the Spanish Minister of State.  The message claimed that the Russians had already established a base somewhere in North America. 

“The king has ordered me to inform Your Excellency of all that has  just been set forth, so that you may make it known to the man appointed governor of California, giving him instructions about the vigilance and care that you ought to exercise in order to observe such attempts as the Russians may make there, frustrating them if possible, so that you may report it to his Majesty.”

The viceroy passed the information on to Gálvez, who decided the time was right to launch his plan.

The Sacred Expedition

A key to Gálvez’ strategy was to rediscover the port of Monterey. The bay had been identified by Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1602 as an excellent harbor for ships, but the Spanish had never verified its location.

Gálvez decided the best approach was a two-pronged land-and-sea expedition north from Baja California. They would first seek out the port of San Diego, where they would establish a mission and presidio, and then go to Monterey to do the same.

This combined effort was called “The Sacred Expedition,” since its aim was not just to establish a military presence but also to found missions to spread Christianity among the Native peoples of the region.

By Land to San Diego

Gálvez named Gaspar de Portolá, the governor of Baja California, as the expedition’s commander. Portolá organized two separate groups to travel by land north to San Diego. The group directly under his command was made up of nine or ten leatherjacket soldiers (soldados de cuera), six muleteers, two servants, and Sebastián Taraval, an Indian from Baja California. Sargento José Francisco de Ortega served as Portola’s second in command, and Fr. Junípero Serra was assigned to oversee the religious portion of the journey, including the founding of new missions.

 The group left Loreto, the southernmost mission in Baja California, on March 9, 1769. Because of an infected wound on his leg, Fr. Serra had to delay his own departure. He met up with the rest of the party on May 5, at the mission of Santa Maria, 200 miles north. Fr. Serra founded a new mission, San Fernando de Velicatá, several miles north of Santa María, and appointed Padre Miguel de la Campa y Cos as its administrator. Together, the group arrived in San Diego on July 1.

In the meantime, another group, led by Capt. Fernando de Rivera y Moncada (commander of the Loreto presidio) set out on March 29. Rivera, along with Fr. Juan Crespí, the historian of the expedition, led 25 soldados de cuera from Loreto, along with 42 Native auxiliaries that he had recruited several months earlier. Rivera’s expedition arrived in San Diego on May 15, several weeks before Portolá and his men.

By Sea to San Diego

As part of the second prong of the expedition, two ships left from La Paz, Baja California, heading for San Diego. The first, the San Carlos, departed La Paz on Jan 9. On board were engineer Miguel Constansó and Don Pedro Fages, Lieutenant of the Company of 25 Catalonian Volunteers. The journey took more than four months.

By the time the San Carlos arrived in San Diego on April 29, 1769, the ship had experienced severe storms, leaked water and many of the crew were suffering from scurvy.

The second ship, the San Antonio, left La Paz on Feb. 15. Unlike the San Carlos, it encountered favorable winds and was able to stop at an island in the Santa Barbara Channel, where the crew received fish and fresh water from island Natives.  The San Antonio arrived at San Diego on April 11, 1769, weeks before the San Carlos. The crew of the San Antonio set up a field hospital to attend to the sick from the San Carlos while they awaited the arrival of the land expeditions.

A third ship, the San José, left for San Diego on June 16, 1769, but had to turn back for repairs. It departed again in May 1770, but was lost and never seen again. 

The March to Monterey

Once all the parties had been successfully reunited at San Diego, Gov. Portolá had orders to go to Monterey, where they were locate the port and establish a mission and a presidio. He organized a company of 63 men, which included Fathers Juan Crespí and Francisco Gómez, Miguel Constansó, Pedro Fages, six Catalonian volunteers, Commander Rivera y Moncada, Sgt. Ortega, 26 soldiers of the guard, seven muleteers, 15 Natives from Baja California, and two servants. They left San Diego on July 14, 1769. 

In his diary, Constansó described the men who set out from San Diego:

They are men of great strength, capable of bearing great fatigue, obedient, resolute, nimble, and we have no doubt in saying, the best horsemen in the world.

The journey was well documented, since Constansó, Portolá, and Crespí all kept diaries. Along the way north, they encountered numerous Native people and villages and traveled through multiple places that would become leading cities of California.

On July 28, they encamped along the Santa Ana River, where they experienced multiple earthquakes. By August 2, they had reached the San Gabriel Valley and camped along a river they named La Porciúncula, which would later be called the Los Angeles River. [quote from diary]

On September 30, after several weeks of marching, they arrived on the shore of Monterey Bay. But what Portolá saw did not look like an enclosed port like San Diego, or a “fine harbor” as Vizcaíno had described. The commander ordered his men to continue north in hopes of discovering their true goal. 

San Francisco Bay

Although he was mistaken about Monterey Bay, Portolá’s decision to continue north was of immense historical significance. On November 2, Sgt. Ortega sighted a large bay while leading a hunting party. Fr. Crespí wrote excitedly about it in his diary, describing its magnificence.

It is a very large and fine harbor, such that not only all the Navy of our most catholic Majesty, but those of all Europe could take shelter in it. 

Portolá, however, was disappointed at not finding Monterey and considered this new bay — which would later be named San Francisco — to be an obstacle to further exploration north. 

With supplies exhausted, they made their way back to Monterey. On December 9, they began their return trip and reached San Diego and its new mission on January 24, 1770. Fr. Serra, who was puzzled to learn they had not found Monterey, asked jokingly, “You come from Rome without having seen the Pope?”

The Second Voyage to Monterey

The proud Portolá was determined to find the lost harbor of Monterey. On April 17, 1770, he led a second expedition north. This time, the mission was successful. By May 24, they had identified the bay and set up headquarters there. Fr. Serra and Miguel Constansó arrived on board the San Antonio on May 31. Soon, they founded both a presidio and a mission (San Carlos Borromeo) that would become the key points of Spanish presence in the northern part of the region.

With an established base, Capt. Pedro Fages, together with Fr. Juan Crespí, began to explore the surrounding territory. In November, they came to the San Francisco Bay by way of the Santa Clara Valley. 

A Return North

Two years later, Capt. Fages and Fr. Crespí again traveled north to explore the San Francisco Bay Area. Along the way, they crossed through the Salinas, San Juan Bautista and Santa Clara Valleys. On their return, they became the first Europeans to view the San Joaquín and Sacramento Valleys. 

These grueling expeditions established the Spanish presence in Alta California and effectively changed the course of North American history. 

Portolá Expedition Timeline

1769

• January 9: The ship San Carlos departs from La Paz.
• February 15: The ship San Antonio departs from La Paz.
• March 9: Gaspar de Portolá’s overland party leaves Loreto.
• March 29: Fernando de Rivera y Moncada’s overland party leaves for Alta California.
• April 11: The San Antonio arrives in San Diego.
• April 29: The San Carlos arrives in San Diego.
• May 5: Fr. Serra meets up with the Portolá group south of Velicatá.
• May 15: Rivera y Moncada’s party reaches San Diego.
• June 16: The ship San José leaves for San Diego but has to turn back for repairs.
• July 1: Portolá’s party arrives at San Diego.
• July 14: Portolá organizes and leads the first expedition (March to Monterey) north from San Diego.
• August 2: The expedition reaches the San Gabriel Valley and camps along the river La Porciúncula (later named the Los Angeles River).
• September 30: The party reaches Monterey Bay but fails to identify it as Vizcaíno’s port.
• November 2: The party reaches the shores of the San Francisco Bay.
• December 9: The party begins its return trip to San Diego.

1770

• January 24: Portolá’s party reaches the San Diego Bay and the new Mission San Diego.
• The ship San José departs again, but is lost at sea.
• April 17: Portolá leads a second expedition north to find Monterey Bay.
• May: The ship San José departs again, but is lost at sea.
• May 24: The second expedition successfully identifies Monterey Bay and establishes a base there.
• May 31: Fr. Serra and Miguel Constansó arrive at Monterey on board the San Antonio.
• November: Capt. Pedro Fages and Fr. Juan Crespí explore the Santa Clara Valley and reach the San Francisco Bay.

References

• Herbert Eugene Bolton, Fray Juan Crespi, Missionary Explorer on the Pacific Coast, 1769-1774
• Phil Brigandi and Eric Plunkett, The Portolá Expedition in Orange County
• Harry W. Crosby, Gateway to Alta California: The Expedition to San Diego, 1769
• Iris Engstrand and Donald Cutter, Quest for Empire: Spanish Settlement in the Southwest
• Iris Engstrand, “The Occupation of the Port of San Diego de Alcalá, 1769.”
• Robert Kirsch and William S. Murphy, West of the West. Witnesses to the California Experience, 1542-1906.
• Richard Pourade, The History of San Diego: Vol. II: The Explorers, 1492-1774.