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1542
Native American tribes thrive under their own ways of life and systems
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Jan 1, 1542
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer, claims California for Spain.
Cabrillo visited but said California was not worth the trouble at the time -
Period: 1542 to
pre European contact
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1579
Sir Francis Drake lands north of San Francisco Bay and claims it as english territory
establishment of British colonization in California -
Sebastian Vizcaino maps "new spain"
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Sacred expedition
Spanish begin their colonization of the California frontier, as the first mission is established at San Diego de Alcala -
Period: to
Spanish Rule
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Father Junipero Serra establishes San Carlos de Borromeo Mission near Monterey
Established to take advantage of native labor and convert natives to Christianity -
Hundreds of Kumeyaay tribespeople attack San Diego Mission, killing father Jayme, in response to worsening conditions at the mission
worsening conditions led to violence -
Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores) is founded
marks the beginning of San Francisco -
United States gains independence
While not immediately impactful to California, this would eventually be a significant event in the story of the state -
Spanish settlers found Los Angeles
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French explorer La Perouse visits California missions and comments on horrible conditions in the San Carlos mission
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Division of California into North and South
California split into 2 provinces. Baja California and Alta California -
Start of war for Mexican independence
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Fort Ross established by Russian fur traders
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Period: to
Mexican Rule
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Mexico gains independence from Spain
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Mexican government secularizes the missions
Missions begin the transition to ranchos, wildling away remembrances of Spanish rule -
battle of providencia
native born Californians grow irritated with Mexico appointing non natives to office, led by Juan Bautista Alvarado, Alta California declares independence. While short-lived, it marks the beginning of a series of conflicts between Mexico and soon to be Americans -
Bear Flag Revolt
American settlers rebel against Mexican rule and authority eventually leading to the Mexican-American war -
Donner party trapped in Sierra Nevadas
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start of Mexican - American war
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Period: to
Gold Rush and Early Statehood
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Gold Discovered in Sutter's mill
Gold discovery in northern California kicks off the gold rush -
End of Mexican-American war
America gains California, New Mexico, Arizona and several other states -
An act for the government and protection published
Law led to legalized child slavery continuing the abuse of Natives -
Bloody Island Massacre
US Calvary exterminate Pomo natives in Clear Lake. They murder everyone at the camp -
California admitted into the union and granted statehood
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California Fugitive Slave Law of 1852
Slave law contradicted states constitution and led to unjust turmoil against African Americans -
Sacramento becomes the state capital
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Biddy Mason sues for her freedom and wins
California courts rule in favor of Biddy Mason's freedom which was a groundbreaking ruling in the battle for social justice -
Central Pacific Railroad construction begins
railroad business changes the economic and social landscape of California bring immigrants and new business opportunities -
UC Berkely become first California public university
start of the California university system -
Transcontinental railroad complete
railroad allows for the exporting and important of new goods
and people from all over the United States. No Chinese workers were allowed in the celebratory picture -
First westbound train arrives in San Francisco
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Southern Pacific railroad is completed
California would now be connected to the southern states providing even more economic opportunities -
Chinese Exclusion Act signed
Chinese immigration was banned and was the first official law passed that specifically banned a specific ethnic group -
Perris Indian School Opens
Indian boarding schools opened as an attempt to erase all native culture and people from California -
United States vs. Wong Kim Ark
United States could not deny citizenship to any American born person. Japanese Americans would later be stripped of rights during WWII -
Oil discovered in Kern County
Oil boom begins in California once again developing the economy -
Period: to
Early 20th Century
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Angel Island Opens
American port of entry for Asian immigrants allows for the logging and tracking of Asian immigration -
California votes to allow women to vote
bill passed 9 years before the 19th amendments -
California Alien Land Act of 1913
Barred immigrants from being able to be citizens and prevented them from owning any land limiting the potential future success of immigrants -
Hollywood become center of American film industry
California now features the idea of glitz and glamor -
Period: to
Great Depression
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1936 Orange County citrus strike
Orange Pickers leave the fields to march for improved working conditions and are met with violent responses from growers and law enforcement. -
Golden Gate Bridge completed
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Bracero Program begins
The bracero program begins to bring in mass immigrant labor to California and contributes to the diversity we see today. -
Period: to
Post war boom
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Executive order 9066 signed- Japanese internment
All people of Japanese descent are removed and imprisoned in camps. -
Zoot Suit Riots
Young Latinos revolt against the harassment and violence from United States service members during WWII -
Oyama V. California
United States Supreme Court ruled the California Alien Land Act was unconstitutional marking the first step in righting a massive series of wrongs. -
Mendez V Westminster
Sylvia Mendez and her family challenged california school segregation and paved the way for Brown v The Board of Education -
CSULB is opened
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"Operation Wetback"
Lawless military style Immigration operation throughout the nation in which 1.3 mexican people were deported in mass and with little consideration. -
Disneyland opens
Disneyland opens and continues the trend of Southern California becoming a tourist destination -
Sister city program begins between San Francisco and Osaka Japan
following years of tension between Japan and the US, the countries begin to reconcile -
1964 free speech movement
Students at UC Berkeley protest the limiting of social rights activism -
Watts Riots
deep-rooted social and economic inequality lead to uprising in Los Angeles -
Delano Grape Strikes begin
Filipinos and Mexicans bind together to achieve labor reform in California's agriculture industry. The strikes lasted 4 years and altered the social dynamics of California -
1965 Immigration act
Immigration was biased to europeans prior to 1965. This act increased the legal immigration from Mexico and the Phillipines. -
March from Delano to Sacramento begins
United Farm Workers march to the state capital to garner national attention of their fight for improved working conditons and treatment -
Indian occupation of Alcatraz Island
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Period: to
Modern California
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San Francisco Earthquake decimates city
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Los Angeles Riots- 1992
Violent rebellion as a result of LAPD officers being acquitted of beating Rodney King unnecessarily -
San Francisco Mayor Newsom allows issue of same sex marrigae licenses.
This would begin the struggle and the official discrimination against same-sex couples for the next 10 years -
Return of Tuluwat Island
Eureka city council returns the unfairly pruchased Tuluwat island from the Wiyot tribe. in 2004 they attempt to reconcile past injustices -
Ban on Same-sex marriage lifted
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Governor Newsome formally apologizes to native californians
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Covid Violence Against Asian Americans
Continued violence against Asian Americans shows the state has yet to fully move past discrimination sentiment dating back to the gold rush