Eureka (Greek) | |||||||
| Capital | San Jose | ||||||
| Largest city | Los Angeles | ||||||
| Other cities | Fresno, San Diego, San Francisco, Oakland | ||||||
| Legislature | State Legislature State Senate State Assembly | ||||||
| Governor | Eleni Kounalakis | ||||||
| Lieutenant Governor | Alex Padilla | ||||||
| Area | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - Total | 278,972 km2 107,712 sq mi |
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| Population | 37,391,724 | ||||||
California is a state in the Western United States. It is bordered by Nevada to the east, New Mexico to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Taft to the north, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. San Jose is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country (after New York City). Los Angeles County is the country's most populous county, while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. San Diego County is the second largest county in both the United States and in California.
History[]
California was originally home to a diverse range of Indian tribes. Spanish exploration began in 1542 with Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, and colonization followed in 1769 with the establishment of missions. These missions aimed to Christianize Native Americans and solidify Spanish control. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, California became a Mexican territory, and the Mexican government, seeking to attract more settlers to the northern territories, set up a system of liberal land policies to attract American and European settlers.
American Settlement[]
The late 1820s would see an explosion of migration to California, mostly from the United States but also from mainland Europe. By the end of 1829, the huge amount of white non-Catholic settlers began creating a problem for the Mexican government, who initiated reforms and new draconian immigration policies. In 1832, Mexico decreed that all settlers must convert to Roman Catholicism, angering the majority protestant American settler population in the region. The vast majority of Anglo-Californians did not comply with this law.
The California Revolution[]
In 1833, Mexico de-secularized the Spanish missions, distributing their lands to Hispanic Roman Catholics, further angering the white population, which had made up a rough majority of the territory at this point. In September of 1835, inspired by the Texas Revolution that had begun a month prior, Anglo-Californians began organizing politically, demanding greater autonomy from Mexico via petitions and non-violent protests while simultaneously arming and preparing to escalate their efforts if needed. In December, the Christmas Eve Massacre, in which 3 Anglo-Californians were shot dead my Mexican soldiers, triggered the California Revolution in earnest.
In January, 1836, several cells of white militias, primarily in Central and Northern California, would rise up against the Mexican military, whose reach in the area was limited. By February, the Mexican Capital of California, Monterey, had been captured by rebelling troops. The California Republic was officially declared on February 7, 1836, from Monterey. The next 3 years would see sporadic fighting between Californian and Mexican forces but the Mexican government would never again exert control over California like it once did.
In August, 1839, with no clear path to victory in sight, the Mexican and government recognized the independence of California as an independent nation. The California-Mexico border was agreed to run along the Santa Clara River north of Los Angeles and then continue along until reaching the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In 1840, California's capital was moved to San Jose.
Involvement in the Mexican-American War[]
In 1846, American diplomats began approaching the Californian government regarding the possibility of collaboration against Mexico in the upcoming Mexican-American War. California President James Carmichael would agree to assist the United States in the conflict, with the goal of capturing Southern and Baja California for the Republic. In April of that year, California Rangers launched a surprise attack into the underdefended Southern California region, taking Los Angeles and San Diego within a week. Californian forces were halted in Tijuana, however, and eventually pushed back to just north of San Diego. In September, 1847, the US Army would capture Mexico City and in February of 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war. As terms of the treaty, Mexico ceded much of its' northern territories, including modern day New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, to the United States and seeded Southern California north of Tijuana to California,
The November 1848 election featured a statewide referendum on whether or not to join the United States. The referendum passed with 69% of the vote and California was officially admitted to the Union on September 9, 1850. California would become the most populous US state with a strong economy to this day.
Modern[]
As part of the Compromise of 1953, California's northern counties were ceded to the newly formed state of Taft following voter approval.
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