Early California:

1
Early California

• Historical Overview

2
Native American California
Before Europeans arrived, the land we call
California was inhabited by about 300,000 Native
Americans, who lived in tribal groups.

3
Always a Land of Diversity

• California has a greater variety of geographical
  regions, landforms, and climates than any area of
  comparable size in what is now the United States.
  
• As a result, an extraordinary cultural diversity
  prevailed among the Native American peoples of
  California.
• Housing, dress, means of transportation varied
  from one region to another.

4
What did first Californians eat?

• Most lived by hunting and gathering.
• The staple food throughout much of California was
  the acorn, a nutritious food source that has a
  higher caloric content than wheat.
• Large game--including deer, antelope, elk, sheep,
  and bear--were present over more than half of the
  state. Fish were abundant in the many streams and
  rivers.

5
Europeans first came to California from the
south. Juan Cabrillo and his crew sailed into San
Diego Bay on Sept. 28, 1542.

• Junípero Serra arrived in 1769
• and founded California's first nine missions. He
  served as father-president of the missions.

6
Presidios

• Spanish officials established four presidios, or
  military forts, along the California coast.
• If an Indian revolt or attack occurred at a
  mission, the soldiers from one of the nearby
  presidios could be rapidly deployed to assist.
• Several presidios were located near entrances to
  the best ports, at locations where they could
  defend the harbors against foreign attack.
• Like the missions, the presidios also were placed
  in areas where supplies of fresh water were
  available.

7
Mexican California
Mexican independence from Spain was achieved in
1821, following a long, bloody struggle. The
Spanish missions lost their lands. Mexican
administrators created huge cattle ranches or
ranchos. A few wealthy land-owning families
emerged as a rancho elite.

8
California GoldRush
News of the discovery of gold in California in
1848 attracted hundreds of thousands of
gold-seekers from across the U.S. and around the
world. Their arrival transformed Californias
economic, social, cultural, and political history.

9
Modern California
How many city names do you see that were derived
from the names of Spanish missions? Where are
these cities located?

10
What natural forces threatened missions?