Las Californias
Encyclopedia
The Californias, or in — (the Province of the Californias) - was the name given by the Spanish to their northwestern territory of New Spain
, comprising the present day states of Baja California
(Lower California) and Baja California Sur
on the Baja California Peninsula
in Mexico
; and the present day U.S. state
of California
in the United States of America. Administratively, the Province was part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas
in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The Californias was a single province until 1804 when Alta California
(Upper California) province was created.
(province
) of Sonora y Sinaloa
, which included the settlements in Arizona
. Further east was the province of Nuevo México
. Because the later nineteenth-century Mexican territory of Alta California is considered to include Nevada
, Arizona
, Utah
and parts of Colorado
and Wyoming
to New France
, these are often retroactively considered to be part of the original Californias.
, who set out in the seventeenth century to convert and to politically and socially reorganize the Native communities
of the region. The Jesuits' efforts were backed by the presence of Spanish soldiers stationed in a system of presidio
s, but the missionaries had control of the civilian government until their expulsion in 1768. Once the missions and the Native communities organized around them were successfully established, secular settlements of Hispanic
peoples from other parts of northern New Spain were created. This process was first carried out during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Baja California, and was repeated in the late eighteenth century in the area that is today the State of California. The Californias fell under the jurisdiction of the Audiencia of Guadalajara in judicial matters.
In 1776 the Californias became part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas. In 1786 an independent intendancy
was set up for the Californias to administer government and military finances, but the office was merged with the governorship a few years later. In 1804 the crown established two governorships for the region, one for Baja California and another for Alta California, that is, the remaining areas in the mainland to the north.
sailed in La Concepción in 1533 under the pilot navigator Fortún Jiménez
in an expedition organized by conquistador
and New Spain administrator Hernán Cortés
. Jiménez reached La Paz
, where they tried to establish a small colony. In 1535 Cortés himself participated in a second expedition, which explored the Sea of Cortez
(Gulf of California). At the time of Cortés's expeditions, the region was occupied by a wide variety of Indigenous peoples
. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
's 1542 expedition, commissioned by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza
, was the next to reach the area sailing via the Pacific Ocean
following the coast of the Baja California peninsula
to a point beyond 40° North
latitude
. He named the discovered territory "Nueva California" (New California) as opposed to "Vieja California" (Old California), which were the coasts of which had already been sailed and explored.
The first, secular Hispanic
city in the Californias was Loreto
, which became the first capital of the territory.
in 1821. For almost the first century, the missionizing effort, carried out by the Society of Jesus- Jesuits
, concentrated on Baja California exclusively. The first mission in Baja California, the short-lived Misión San Bruno
, was established in 1683, but the first successful mission was established in 1697 with the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó
in Loreto
.
The second half of the eighteenth century brought about changes in policy for several reasons. First was foreign powers, especially the Russian, and to a lesser extent British, incursions into the north of the region in pursuit of fur trade
. At the same time the administration of the area was revitalized by the Bourbon political reforms
carried out under José de Gálvez
, who was first a visitador to the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later the Minister of the Indies. Finally, another drastic change came when the crown ordered the expulsion of the Jesuits from all Spanish territories in 1767. The Dominicans
were selected to take over the missions in Baja California. Around this time plans to bring Alta California firmly into Spanish control through a new missionary effort were finalized. The Franciscan
s were chosen by the authorities to carry out this plan in 1769.
The southern part of the territory was referred to at times as "Vieja California" (Old California) or Baja California (Lower California). The northern part became known as "Nueva California" (New California) and later Alta California. The exact border between the missionary orders' territories in the Californias was established in 1773 by Francisco Palóu
on a line close to the present United States-Mexico border. It ended at the Pacific coast in the area of Playas de Rosarito, about 25 km south of the current international border. The first border was at Punta El Descanso, today occupied by the Centro Histórico y Cultural Calafia. It was later moved in 1778 to the Rosarito Creek. Direction of the Franciscan, the Upper California missions fell first to Junípero Serra
, and after his departure in 1773, to Francisco Palóu.
was formed as a separate "missionary order" region, but was not separated administratively, when Spain expelled the Jesuits from its colonial territories. The Jesuits' existing Baja California missions
were given to the Dominican
s to operate. The proposed missions
in Alta California were to be developed by the Franciscans. The first mission founded by the Franciscans was Mission San Diego de Alcalá
in 1769.
As mandated by the Laws of the Indies
, Gálvez's plans also included secular settlements, the pueblos
. Much as had happened in the previous century on the Baja California Peninsula
, first a system of presidio
s were established in Alta California to protect the missionaries. Two decades later secular towns were also established to bring in Hispanic
settlers into the area and to provide food, material and a place for retirement for the presidio soldiers. The first town in Alta California was San José de Guadalupe
in 1777, followed by Nuestra Señora, la Reina de los Ángeles
in 1781. Other settlements formed around the presidios in Monterey
and Santa Barbara
. Spanish land grant Ranchos
were the third part of establishing a proactive presence in northwestern New Spain
As Alta California developed and gained a larger Hispanic population, the need for a separate government became apparent. In 1804 the two areas were separated and Baja California peninsula
and Alta California
given separate governors. Diego de Borica
is credited with defining Alta and Baja California's official borders. With Mexican independence
in 1821 the two provinces became territories, and not states as most other areas of the country did, due to their small populations in the new republic then established in 1824. However, there were several attempts by Californios to gain independence from Mexico, both resulting in increased autonomy. The number land grant Ranchos
increased during the Mexican California
era.
and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Mexico
permanently lost Alta California in 1848. The new areas acquired by the United States continued to be administered as territories, with the exception of California, which sprang into statehood a mere 2 years after annexation in 1850. But by the early 20th century all had become states. Mexico reorganized the Territory of Baja California into two territories in 1931, North Territory of Baja California and South Territory of Baja California. By the end of the 20th century each territory would become a state, Baja California
in 1952 and Baja California Sur
in 1974.
The current captitals of each state are Sacramento, California
; Mexicali, Baja California
; and La Paz, Baja California Sur
.
----
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
, comprising the present day states of Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
(Lower California) and Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
on the Baja California Peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
; and the present day U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the United States of America. Administratively, the Province was part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas
Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas
The Provincias Internas or Commandancy General of the Internal Provinces of the North was a colonial, administrative district of the Spanish Empire, created in 1776 to provide more autonomy for the frontier provinces in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, present day northern Mexico and southwestern...
in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The Californias was a single province until 1804 when Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
(Upper California) province was created.
Geography of Las Californias
The missionary, colonial and administrative efforts focused exclusively on the Baja California peninsula and the area of the present American state of California, although the inland regions of upper Las Californias was not precisely defined. To the east it was bordered by the gobernacionGovernorate
A governorate is an administrative division of a country. It is headed by a governor. As English-speaking nations tend to call regions administered by governors either states, provinces, or colonies, the term governorate is often used in translation from non-English-speaking administrations.The...
(province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
) of Sonora y Sinaloa
Sonora y Sinaloa
Sonora y Sinaloa was a province in the Provincias Internas and under the jurisdiction of the Real Audiencia of Guadalajara of Viceroyalty of New Spain. After Independence Sonora y Sinaloa became one of the constituent states of the Mexican Republic...
, which included the settlements in Arizona
Spanish period of Arizona
In the late 18th century, colonists began steadily entering the region of northern New Spain that is the modern-day U.S. state of Arizona. They were attracted by reports of the discovery of deposits of silver around the Arizonac mining camp...
. Further east was the province of Nuevo México
Santa Fe de Nuevo México
Santa Fe de Nuevo México was a province of New Spain and later Mexico that existed from the late 16th century up through the mid-19th century. It was centered on the upper valley of the Rio Grande , in an area that included most of the present-day U.S. state of New Mexico...
. Because the later nineteenth-century Mexican territory of Alta California is considered to include Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and parts of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
to New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, these are often retroactively considered to be part of the original Californias.
Political organization of Las Californias
Most of the colonization of the area was done first by Jesuit missionariesSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, who set out in the seventeenth century to convert and to politically and socially reorganize the Native communities
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
of the region. The Jesuits' efforts were backed by the presence of Spanish soldiers stationed in a system of presidio
Presidio
A presidio is a fortified base established by the Spanish in North America between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The fortresses were built to protect against pirates, hostile native Americans and enemy colonists. Other presidios were held by Spain in the sixteenth and seventeenth...
s, but the missionaries had control of the civilian government until their expulsion in 1768. Once the missions and the Native communities organized around them were successfully established, secular settlements of Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
peoples from other parts of northern New Spain were created. This process was first carried out during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Baja California, and was repeated in the late eighteenth century in the area that is today the State of California. The Californias fell under the jurisdiction of the Audiencia of Guadalajara in judicial matters.
In 1776 the Californias became part of the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas. In 1786 an independent intendancy
Intendant
The title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
was set up for the Californias to administer government and military finances, but the office was merged with the governorship a few years later. In 1804 the crown established two governorships for the region, one for Baja California and another for Alta California, that is, the remaining areas in the mainland to the north.
First explorations and early history
The first recorded Europeans to sight the California regionRegion
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
sailed in La Concepción in 1533 under the pilot navigator Fortún Jiménez
Fortún Ximénez
Fortún Ximénez was Spanish sailor who led a mutiny during an early expedition along the coast of Mexico and is the first European known to have landed in Baja California....
in an expedition organized by conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
and New Spain administrator Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
. Jiménez reached La Paz
La Paz, Baja California Sur
La Paz is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2010 census population of 215,178 persons, but its metropolitan population is somewhat larger because of surrounding towns like el Centenario, el Zacatal and San Pedro...
, where they tried to establish a small colony. In 1535 Cortés himself participated in a second expedition, which explored the Sea of Cortez
Gulf of California
The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland...
(Gulf of California). At the time of Cortés's expeditions, the region was occupied by a wide variety of Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
's 1542 expedition, commissioned by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza
Antonio de Mendoza
Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, Marquis of Mondéjar, Count of Tendilla , was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from April 17, 1535 to November 25, 1550, and the second viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1551 to July 21, 1552...
, was the next to reach the area sailing via the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
following the coast of the Baja California peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
to a point beyond 40° North
North
North is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.North is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the top side of a map is north....
latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
. He named the discovered territory "Nueva California" (New California) as opposed to "Vieja California" (Old California), which were the coasts of which had already been sailed and explored.
The first, secular Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
city in the Californias was Loreto
Loreto, Baja California Sur
Loreto was the first Spanish settlement on the Baja California Peninsula. It served as the capital of Las Californias from 1697 to 1777, and is the current seat of the municipality of Loreto in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur...
, which became the first capital of the territory.
Colonization
Colonization, carried out primarily through the establishment of missions, began during the seventeenth century and ended shortly after the independence of MexicoMexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
in 1821. For almost the first century, the missionizing effort, carried out by the Society of Jesus- Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, concentrated on Baja California exclusively. The first mission in Baja California, the short-lived Misión San Bruno
Misión San Bruno
The short-lived Jesuit mission of San Bruno was established in 1683 on the Gulf of California of Baja California Sur, about 20 kilometers north of the later site of the town of Loreto....
, was established in 1683, but the first successful mission was established in 1697 with the Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó
Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó
Misión de Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó, or Mission Loreto, was founded on October 25, 1697 at the Monqui settlement of Conchó in the present city of Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico...
in Loreto
Loreto, Baja California Sur
Loreto was the first Spanish settlement on the Baja California Peninsula. It served as the capital of Las Californias from 1697 to 1777, and is the current seat of the municipality of Loreto in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur...
.
The second half of the eighteenth century brought about changes in policy for several reasons. First was foreign powers, especially the Russian, and to a lesser extent British, incursions into the north of the region in pursuit of fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
. At the same time the administration of the area was revitalized by the Bourbon political reforms
Bourbon Reforms
The Bourbon Reforms were a set of economic and political legislation introduced by the Spanish Crown under various kings of the House of Bourbon throughout the 18th century. The reforms were intended to stimulate manufacturing and technology in order to modernize Spain...
carried out under José de Gálvez
José de Gálvez
José de Gálvez y Gallardo, marqués de Sonora was a Spanish lawyer, a colonial official in New Spain and ultimately Minister of the Indies . He was one of the prime figures behind the Bourbon Reforms...
, who was first a visitador to the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later the Minister of the Indies. Finally, another drastic change came when the crown ordered the expulsion of the Jesuits from all Spanish territories in 1767. The Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
were selected to take over the missions in Baja California. Around this time plans to bring Alta California firmly into Spanish control through a new missionary effort were finalized. The Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s were chosen by the authorities to carry out this plan in 1769.
The southern part of the territory was referred to at times as "Vieja California" (Old California) or Baja California (Lower California). The northern part became known as "Nueva California" (New California) and later Alta California. The exact border between the missionary orders' territories in the Californias was established in 1773 by Francisco Palóu
Francisco Palóu
Francesc Palou was a Franciscan missionary, administrator, and historian on the Baja California peninsula and in Alta California. Father Palou's made significant contributions to the Alta California and Baja California mission systems...
on a line close to the present United States-Mexico border. It ended at the Pacific coast in the area of Playas de Rosarito, about 25 km south of the current international border. The first border was at Punta El Descanso, today occupied by the Centro Histórico y Cultural Calafia. It was later moved in 1778 to the Rosarito Creek. Direction of the Franciscan, the Upper California missions fell first to Junípero Serra
Junípero Serra
Blessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
, and after his departure in 1773, to Francisco Palóu.
Alta California
Alta CaliforniaAlta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
was formed as a separate "missionary order" region, but was not separated administratively, when Spain expelled the Jesuits from its colonial territories. The Jesuits' existing Baja California missions
Spanish missions in Baja California
The Spanish Missions in Baja California comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic religious orders, the Jesuits, the Franciscans and the Dominicans, between 1683 and 1834 to spread the Christian doctrine among the local natives...
were given to the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
s to operate. The proposed missions
Spanish missions in California
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
in Alta California were to be developed by the Franciscans. The first mission founded by the Franciscans was Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá, in San Diego, California, was the first Franciscan mission in the Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It was founded in 1769 by Spanish friar Junípero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay Indians...
in 1769.
As mandated by the Laws of the Indies
Laws of the Indies
The Laws of the Indies are the entire body of laws issued by the Spanish Crown for its American and Philippine possessions of its empire. They regulated social, political and economic life in these areas...
, Gálvez's plans also included secular settlements, the pueblos
Cabildo (council)
For a discussion of the contemporary Spanish and Latin American cabildo, see Ayuntamiento.A cabildo or ayuntamiento was a former Spanish, colonial administrative council that governed a municipality. Cabildos were sometimes appointed, sometimes elected, but were considered to be representative of...
. Much as had happened in the previous century on the Baja California Peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
, first a system of presidio
Presidio
A presidio is a fortified base established by the Spanish in North America between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The fortresses were built to protect against pirates, hostile native Americans and enemy colonists. Other presidios were held by Spain in the sixteenth and seventeenth...
s were established in Alta California to protect the missionaries. Two decades later secular towns were also established to bring in Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
settlers into the area and to provide food, material and a place for retirement for the presidio soldiers. The first town in Alta California was San José de Guadalupe
History of San Jose, California
-Site chosen by De Anza:For thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers, the area now known as San Jose was inhabited by several groups of Ohlone Native Americans...
in 1777, followed by Nuestra Señora, la Reina de los Ángeles
Pueblo de Los Angeles
El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles was the Spanish civilian pueblo founded in 1781, which by the 20th century became the American metropolis of Los Angeles....
in 1781. Other settlements formed around the presidios in Monterey
Presidio of Monterey, California
The Presidio of Monterey, located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center .-Spanish fort:...
and Santa Barbara
Presidio of Santa Barbara
The El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara, also known as the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara, was a military installation in Santa Barbara, California. It was built by Spain in 1782, with the mission of defending the Second Military District in California...
. Spanish land grant Ranchos
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
were the third part of establishing a proactive presence in northwestern New Spain
As Alta California developed and gained a larger Hispanic population, the need for a separate government became apparent. In 1804 the two areas were separated and Baja California peninsula
Baja California Peninsula
The Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
and Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
given separate governors. Diego de Borica
Diego de Borica
Diego de Borica was a Spanish explorer and the seventh Governor of Las Californias from 1794 to 1800, and is credited with defining Alta- and Baja-California's official borders.-Biography:...
is credited with defining Alta and Baja California's official borders. With Mexican independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...
in 1821 the two provinces became territories, and not states as most other areas of the country did, due to their small populations in the new republic then established in 1824. However, there were several attempts by Californios to gain independence from Mexico, both resulting in increased autonomy. The number land grant Ranchos
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
increased during the Mexican California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
era.
Statehoods
Two decades later, as a result of the Mexican–American WarMexican–American War
The Mexican–American War, also known as the First American Intervention, the Mexican War, or the U.S.–Mexican War, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S...
and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
permanently lost Alta California in 1848. The new areas acquired by the United States continued to be administered as territories, with the exception of California, which sprang into statehood a mere 2 years after annexation in 1850. But by the early 20th century all had become states. Mexico reorganized the Territory of Baja California into two territories in 1931, North Territory of Baja California and South Territory of Baja California. By the end of the 20th century each territory would become a state, Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in 1952 and Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur
Baja California Sur , is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state on October 8, 1974, the area was known as the South Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises...
in 1974.
The current captitals of each state are Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
; Mexicali, Baja California
Mexicali
Mexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city...
; and La Paz, Baja California Sur
La Paz, Baja California Sur
La Paz is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2010 census population of 215,178 persons, but its metropolitan population is somewhat larger because of surrounding towns like el Centenario, el Zacatal and San Pedro...
.
Timeline of the Californias
- 1533- First European landing "in California" on the lower Baja California peninsulaBaja California PeninsulaThe Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
by Fortún JiménezFortún XiménezFortún Ximénez was Spanish sailor who led a mutiny during an early expedition along the coast of Mexico and is the first European known to have landed in Baja California....
. - 28 September 1542- First European landing near upper California by Juan Rodríguez CabrilloJuan Rodríguez CabrilloJuan Rodriguez Cabrillo was a Portuguese explorer noted for his exploration of the west coast of North America on behalf of Spain. Cabrillo was the first European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States...
in EnsenadaEnsenada, Baja CaliforniaEnsenada is a coastal city in Mexico and the third-largest city in Baja California. It is located south of San Diego on the Baja California Peninsula. The city is locally referred to as La Cenicienta del Pacífico, or, The Cinderella of the Pacific...
(in Baja California). - 4 November 1595- Sebastián Rodríguez CermeñoSebastián Rodríguez CermeñoSebastião Rodrigues Soromenho , was a Portuguese explorer, born in Sesimbra , appointed by the king Philip II to sail along the shores of California, in the years 1595 and 1596, in order to map the American west coast line and define the maritime routes of the Pacific Ocean in the 16th...
claims the Pacific coast for Spain. - Approximately 100 years of inactivity and no presence in Baja California, and 200 years of inactivity or presence in Alta California.
- 1697- Jesuit MissionsSpanish missions in Baja CaliforniaThe Spanish Missions in Baja California comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic religious orders, the Jesuits, the Franciscans and the Dominicans, between 1683 and 1834 to spread the Christian doctrine among the local natives...
erected in southern Baja California. - 1768- Spanish settlement begins in Alta California.
- 3 June 1770- Governorship established for Las Californias Province.
- 1786- IntendancyIntendantThe title of intendant has been used in several countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office...
of Las Californias Province established. - 1804- Separate administrations for Alta California and Baja California Provinces.
- 11 April 1822- Both provinces become part of the new independent nation of MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, now as the territories of Baja CaliforniaBaja California PeninsulaThe Baja California peninsula , is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico. Its land mass separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California. The Peninsula extends from Mexicali, Baja California in the north to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur in the south.The total area of the Baja California...
and Alta CaliforniaAlta CaliforniaAlta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...
. - 2 February 1848 - Alta California territory ceded to the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
--the term "Las Californias" and "Alta California" no longer formally used with this area. ("Alta California" became simply "California" and given definite borders. It was also subject to primarily anglophoneEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
American rule. The rest of Alta California became parts of various American states, such as ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.)
Spanish Governors of the Californias
- 1768 - 9 July 1770 Gaspar de PortoláGaspar de PortolàGaspar de Portolà i Rovira was a soldier, governor of Baja and Alta California , explorer and founder of San Diego and Monterey. He was born in Os de Balaguer, province of Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain, of Catalan nobility. Don Gaspar served as a soldier in the Spanish army in Italy and Portugal...
(1723–1786) - 9 July 1770 - 23 March 1774 Pedro FagesPedro FagesPere Fages Beleta , nicknamed L'Ós , was a soldier, explorer, and the second Spanish military Governor of Las Californias Province of New Spain from 1770 to 1774, and the Governor of Las Californias from 1782 to 1791.-Life:...
(1730 - 1796?) - 23 March 1774 - 3 February 1777 Fernando José Rivera y MoncadaFernando Rivera y MoncadaFernando Javier Rivera y Moncada was a soldier from New Spain who served in the Baja California peninsula and upper Las Californias, participating in several early overland explorations. Fernando Rivera y Moncada served as a Spanish Miilitary Governor from 1774-1777. -Biography:Rivera was born...
(1724–1781) - 3 February 1777 - 7 September 1782 Felipe de NeveFelipe de NeveFelipe de Neve was a Spanish governor of Las Californias, an area that included present-day California , Baja California and Baja California Sur . His tenure as governor was from 1775 to 1782...
(1728–1784) - 7 September 1782 - 17 April 1791 Pedro FagesPedro FagesPere Fages Beleta , nicknamed L'Ós , was a soldier, explorer, and the second Spanish military Governor of Las Californias Province of New Spain from 1770 to 1774, and the Governor of Las Californias from 1782 to 1791.-Life:...
(s.a.) - 17 April 1791 - 9 April 1792 José Antonio de RoméuJosé Antonio RoméuJosé Antonio Roméu was governor of Las Californias from 1791 to 1792.In 1782, José Antonio Roméu led a retailatory mission after the Quechan Yuma Massacre of 1781.-See also:* New Spain* Las Californias* History of California to 1899...
, conde de Riverra Gigado (1842 - 1792) - 9 April 1792 - Nov 1794 José Joaquín de ArrillagaJosé Joaquín de ArrillagaJosé Joaquín de Arrillaga was interim governor of Las Californias from 1792 to 1794, governor of Las Californias from 1800 to 1804 and governor of Alta California from 1804 to 1814.-Death:...
(First time) (1750–1814) (acting) - Nov 1794 - 16 January 1800 Diego de BoricaDiego de BoricaDiego de Borica was a Spanish explorer and the seventh Governor of Las Californias from 1794 to 1800, and is credited with defining Alta- and Baja-California's official borders.-Biography:...
(1742–1800) - 16 January 1800 - 11 March 1802 Pedro de AlberniPere d'Alberní i TeixidorDon Pedro de Alberni, sometimes known as Pere d'Alberní i Teixidor in Catalan was a Spanish soldier who served the Spanish Crown for almost all his life. He spent most of his military career in the Viceroyalty of New Spain...
(acting) (1747–1802) - 11 March 1802 - 1804 José Joaquín de Arrillaga (Second time) (s.a.)
Sources and references
See also
- List of pre-statehood governors of California
- List of governors in the Viceroyalty of New Spain
- Spanish missions in Baja CaliforniaSpanish missions in Baja CaliforniaThe Spanish Missions in Baja California comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic religious orders, the Jesuits, the Franciscans and the Dominicans, between 1683 and 1834 to spread the Christian doctrine among the local natives...
- Spanish missions in CaliforniaSpanish missions in CaliforniaThe Spanish missions in California comprise a series of religious and military outposts established by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order between 1769 and 1823 to spread the Christian faith among the local Native Americans. The missions represented the first major effort by Europeans to...
- Indigenous peoples of Baja California
- Indigenous peoples of CaliforniaIndigenous peoples of CaliforniaThe Indigenous peoples of California are the indigenous inhabitants who have lived or currently live in the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and after the arrival of Europeans. With over one hundred federally recognized tribes, California has the largest Native...
- Population of Native CaliforniaPopulation of Native CaliforniaEstimates of the Native Californian population have varied substantially, both with respect to California's pre-contact count and for changes during subsequent periods. Pre-contact estimates range from 133,000 to 705,000 with some recent scholars concluding that these estimates are low...
- Population of Native California
- Ranchos of CaliforniaRanchos of CaliforniaThe Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
- History of CaliforniaHistory of CaliforniaThe history of California can be divided into several periods: the Native American period; European exploration period from 1542 to 1769; the Spanish colonial period, 1769 to 1821; the Mexican period, 1821 to 1848; and United States statehood, which continues to the present day...
- History of California to 1899History of California to 1899Human history in California begins with indigenous Americans first arriving in California some 13,000-15,000 years ago. Exploration and settlement by Europeans along the coasts and in the inland valleys began in the 16th century...
- History of California to 1899
- Spanish colonization of the AmericasSpanish colonization of the AmericasColonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
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