California State History

The state of California, in its early days, actually accounted for most of the California area, as well as Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming. California became a state in 1850 after the Mexican-American war when Mexico ceded the area to the United States. The name of the state is said to have come from an old myth in which a paradise was ruled by a Queen Califia.

As it is today, California is the third largest state in the country. Long before that, however, the California area was home to ancient tribes that migrated into the region thousands of years ago. European explorers did not discover the California region until much later in 1542, when the Portuguese explorer Joao Cabrilho traveled extensively along the coast line. The Spanish began permanently settling the California area in the late 1700s as missionaries set up posts along the interior.

When Mexico broke away from Spain, California became a remote region of the Mexican nation, with large plots of land owned by upper class Californios. As the 1820s came around, American and Canadian settlers migrated into the region, competing with the Californios for land and trade rights. This competition eventually led to armed conflict in 1846 with the Bear Flag Revolt. After defeating the Mexican government, the California Republic quickly ceded to the United States, becoming a state shortly thereafter.

California remained a backwater of the United States until the 1850s, when the California Gold Rush began. With the beginning of the Gold Rush, the state quickly swelled in population, with hopeful prospectors arriving from all over the country. Prior to the Gold Rush, some estimates put the entire American population of California as low as 15,000. Shortly after the Gold Rush, California became a state under the Compromise of 1850.

Even with the allure of gold, however, California remained a difficult and dangerous region for travel. It would not be until the advent of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 that the state truly became an integral part of the United States. As the rail network of the United States became more extensive, population growth in the state continually rose. With the addition of Route 66 years later, California saw an explosive growth in its population.

California in the 20th Century

As the twentieth century came to California, so did a determination to transform the state. Perhaps the most famous of engineering projects to take place in California was the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The Aqueduct delivers water to the parched Los Angeles area by diverting it from rivers and streams east, toward the Sierra. The Hoover dam is also another essential cornerstone of California’s transformation. The dam was built to provide power and water to the southern California. Similar dams and aqueducts sprung up around the state, turning dry and arid regions into bountiful farm land and supporting ever growing cities.

Along with the physical transformation of the state came a huge cultural shift as well. Wealthy Americans were attracted to the mild climate and beautiful land of the state. It wasn’t long until the first major studios began making their homes in California. Warner Brothers, Universal, and MGM all acquired land in California early on, setting the stage for the eventual development of Hollywood.

The real development of California took place as World War II drew to a close. Developers rapidly seized up land in the state, building large developments. The Baby Boomer generation occupied the state in large numbers, leading to population boom in the region. The appearance of Disneyland and major baseball franchises in the 1950s came as a sign of California’s growing prominence in the United States.

California began developing a reputation in the 1950s as a home of high tech industry. This phenomenon began with the aerospace industry that flourished there beginning with World War II. As the technology industry expanded to include computers, software, and network devices, California’s Silicon Valley became home to some of the most successful high tech firms in the country. The high tech industry in California suffered heavily from the bursting of the dot com bubble in early 2001, just as it suffered from the collapse of the aerospace industry years earlier.

Other staples of the modern Californian economy are agriculture and aerospace industries. The mediterranean climate of California allows a wide range of crops to be grown, including many of the country’s most successful wine vineyards. Douglas and Hughes Aircraft began their businesses in California during World War II, establishing a tradition of heavy industry in the area. California is today the world’s eighth largest economy.

You can find more information about California at the official state government website. For more information on California tourism, you can visit the state tourism website. The state also has a great california website containing information about the parks that can be found there. Goto California Home Mortgage, if you are looking for a mortgage in Cali.