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history
On June 14, 1846, a small band of settlers marched on the Mexican garrison at Sonoma and took the commandant, Mariano Vallejo, prisoner, They issued a proclamation which declared California to be a Republic independent of Mexico. This uprising became known as the Bear Flag Revolt after the hastily designed flag depicting a grizzly bear and a five pointed star over a red bar and the words "California Republic." The grizzly bear was a symbol of great strength while the lone star made reference to the lone Star of Texas. The flag only flew until July 9, 1846 when it was learned that Mexico and the United States were already at war. Soon after, the Bear Flag was replaced with the American flag. It was adopted as the State Flag by the State Legislature in 1911.
Nickname: The Golden State.
Capital: Sacramento.
Constitution: The 31st State.
Statehood: September 9th 1850.
Motto: Eureka
History:
As many as 300,000 American Indians lived in the California region before white people arrived. There were many tribes, and they spoke different languages.
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer employed by Spain, in 1542 was the first European to see the coast of California. Beginning in 1697, the Spaniards established missions and other settlements in Baja (lower) California, the Mexican peninsula south of present-day California. In 1776, a group of Spanish settlers arrived at the site of what is now San Francisco.
Franciscan friars of the Roman Catholic Church played an important part in the Spanish settlement of California. By 1823, the Franciscans had built a chain of 21 missions. The mission property was later sold to private citizens.
California became a province of Mexico in 1822, after Mexico won its independence from Spain. The United States and Mexico went to war in 1846. After the U.S.A. won the war in 1848, California became part of the United States. Gold was discovered in California the same year, and thousands of people poured in from all parts of the world to stake claims.
California became a state of the U.S.A. in 1850. Thousands of settlers went west after the American Civil War ended in 1865. In 1869, the first transcontinental railway system linked Sacramento with the eastern United States.
From 1870 to 1889, depression caused widespread unemployment and bank failures. Many unemployed workers blamed their troubles on Chinese labourers, who were willing to work for low wages. Anti-Chinese riots took place in Los Angeles in 1871 and in San Francisco in 1877. During the 1880's, a great publicity campaign brought thousands of people to California.
In 1906, the terrible San Francisco earthquake destroyed about 28,000 buildings and killed at least 3,000 people. However, the city was soon rebuilt. In October 1989 a severe earthquake there caused the deaths of 62 people and a loss of about U.S. $6 billion in property damage. In 1994, another earthquake hit Los Angeles, killing more than 50 people and causing extensive property damage.
During the early 1900's, California grew rapidly in population and in the development of natural resources. In 1914, the completion of the Panama Canal shortened the important sea route between California and the East. Numerous factories were established in California after the United States entered World War I in 1917.
California's population grew tremendously after World War II (1939-1945). This boosted its economy, but it also created problems. Smog became a serious problem in Los Angeles and other cities. Controlling and distributing water resources has also remained one of California's biggest problems. Despite a system of canals, dams, and reservoirs, water conservation is still an important concern.
Like many other U.S. states, California has had racial problems. In 1965, rioting broke out in Watts, a black section of Los Angeles. In 1992, riots broke out in Los Angeles after four white policemen were acquitted of assaulting a black motorist, even though a bystander had videotaped the assault. Racial tensions then spread to several U.S. cities. A federal jury later convicted two of the officers of violating the motorist's civil rights.
Animal:
The California grizzly bear (Ursus californicus) was designated official State Animal in 1953. Before dying out in California, this largest and most powerful of carnivores thrived in the great valleys and low mountains of the state, probably in greater numbers than anywhere else in the United States. As humans began to populate California, the grizzly stood its ground, refusing to retreat in the face of advancing civilization. It killed livestock and interfered with settlers. Less than 75 years after the discovery of gold, every grizzly bear in California had been tracked down and killed. The last one was killed in Tulare County in August 1922, more than 20 years before the authority to regulate the take of fish and wildlife was delegated to the California Fish and Game Commission by the State Legislature.
Bird:
The California quail (Lophortyx californica), also known as the valley quail, became the official state bird in 1931. A widely distributed and prized game bird, it is known for its hardiness and adaptability. Plump, grey-coloured and smaller than a pigeon, the California quail sports a downward curving black plume on top of its head and black bib with white stripe under the beak. Flocks number from a few to 60 or more in the fall and winter months, but in the spring break into pairs. They nest in hollows scratched in the ground and concealed by foliage, and their eggs, 6 to 28 in number, are creamy white and thickly spotted with golden brown.
Economy:
Agriculture: Vegetables, fruits and nuts, dairy products, cattle, nursery stock, grapes.
Industry: Electronic components and equipment, aerospace, film production, food processing, petroleum, computers and computer software, tourism.
Flower:
California Indians cherished the poppy as both a source of food and for oil extracted from the plant. Its botanical name, Eschsholtzia californica, was given by Adelbert Von Chamisso, a naturalist and member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, who dropped anchor in San Francisco in 1816 in a bay surrounded by hills of the golden flowers. Also sometimes known as the flame flower, la amapola, and copa de oro (cup of gold), the poppy grows wild throughout California. It became the state flower in 1903. Every year April 6 is California Poppy Day, and Governor Wilson proclaimed May 13-18, 1996, Poppy Week.
Motto:
The Greek word "Eureka" has appeared on the state seal since 1849 and means "I have found it". The words were probably intended to refer to the discovery of gold in California. Archimedes, the famed Greek mathematician, is said to have exclaimed "Eureka!" when, after long study, he discovered a method of determining the purity of gold. In 1957, attempts were made to establish "In God We Trust" as the state motto, but "Eureka" was made the official state motto in 1963.
Nickname:
"The Golden State" has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in 1968. It is particularly appropriate since California's modern development can be traced back to the discovery of gold in 1848 and fields of golden poppies can be seen each spring throughout the state. The Golden State Museum is also the name of a new museum slated to open in late 1998 at the California State Archives in Sacramento. The museum's exhibits will bring to life the momentous events of California's history through a series of innovative, interpretive exhibits.
Origin of state's name:
Named by Spanish after Califia, a mythical paradise in a Spanish romance written by Montalvo in 1510.
Seal:
The Constitutional Convention of 1849 adopted the Great Seal of the State of California. The seal was designed by Major R. S. Garnett of the United States Army, and proposed by Caleb Lyon, a clerk of the convention. The Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, has at her feet a grizzly bear and clusters of grapes representing wildlife and agricultural richness. A miner works near the busy Sacramento River, below the Sierra Nevada peaks. The Greek word "Eureka" meaning "I have found it", probably refers to the miner's discovery of gold. Near the upper edge of the seal are 31 stars representing the number of states with California's anticipated admission. Just as Minerva sprung full-grown from the head of Jupiter, California became a state on September 9, 1850, without having to go through a territorial stage.
Tree:
The California redwood was designated the official State Tree of California by the State Legislature in 1937. Once common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, redwoods are found only on the Pacific Coast. Many groves and stands of the towering trees are preserved in state and national parks and forests. There are actually two species of California redwood: the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and the giant sequoia (Sequoia gigantea). The coast redwoods are the tallest trees in the world - one reaching over 360 feet tall grows in the Humboldt Redwoods. One giant sequoia, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, is 272 feet high and more than 36 feet in diameter and is widely considered to be the world's largest tree overall.
As many as 300,000 American Indians lived in the California region before white people arrived. There were many tribes, and they spoke different languages.
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer employed by Spain, in 1542 was the first European to see the coast of California. Beginning in 1697, the Spaniards established missions and other settlements in Baja (lower) California, the Mexican peninsula south of present-day California. In 1776, a group of Spanish settlers arrived at the site of what is now San Francisco.
Franciscan friars of the Roman Catholic Church played an important part in the Spanish settlement of California. By 1823, the Franciscans had built a chain of 21 missions. The mission property was later sold to private citizens.
California became a province of Mexico in 1822, after Mexico won its independence from Spain. The United States and Mexico went to war in 1846. After the U.S.A. won the war in 1848, California became part of the United States. Gold was discovered in California the same year, and thousands of people poured in from all parts of the world to stake claims.
California became a state of the U.S.A. in 1850. Thousands of settlers went west after the American Civil War ended in 1865. In 1869, the first transcontinental railway system linked Sacramento with the eastern United States.
From 1870 to 1889, depression caused widespread unemployment and bank failures. Many unemployed workers blamed their troubles on Chinese labourers, who were willing to work for low wages. Anti-Chinese riots took place in Los Angeles in 1871 and in San Francisco in 1877. During the 1880's, a great publicity campaign brought thousands of people to California.
In 1906, the terrible San Francisco earthquake destroyed about 28,000 buildings and killed at least 3,000 people. However, the city was soon rebuilt. In October 1989 a severe earthquake there caused the deaths of 62 people and a loss of about U.S. $6 billion in property damage. In 1994, another earthquake hit Los Angeles, killing more than 50 people and causing extensive property damage.
During the early 1900's, California grew rapidly in population and in the development of natural resources. In 1914, the completion of the Panama Canal shortened the important sea route between California and the East. Numerous factories were established in California after the United States entered World War I in 1917.
California's population grew tremendously after World War II (1939-1945). This boosted its economy, but it also created problems. Smog became a serious problem in Los Angeles and other cities. Controlling and distributing water resources has also remained one of California's biggest problems. Despite a system of canals, dams, and reservoirs, water conservation is still an important concern.
Like many other U.S. states, California has had racial problems. In 1965, rioting broke out in Watts, a black section of Los Angeles. In 1992, riots broke out in Los Angeles after four white policemen were acquitted of assaulting a black motorist, even though a bystander had videotaped the assault. Racial tensions then spread to several U.S. cities. A federal jury later convicted two of the officers of violating the motorist's civil rights.
Animal:
The California grizzly bear (Ursus californicus) was designated official State Animal in 1953. Before dying out in California, this largest and most powerful of carnivores thrived in the great valleys and low mountains of the state, probably in greater numbers than anywhere else in the United States. As humans began to populate California, the grizzly stood its ground, refusing to retreat in the face of advancing civilization. It killed livestock and interfered with settlers. Less than 75 years after the discovery of gold, every grizzly bear in California had been tracked down and killed. The last one was killed in Tulare County in August 1922, more than 20 years before the authority to regulate the take of fish and wildlife was delegated to the California Fish and Game Commission by the State Legislature.
Bird:
The California quail (Lophortyx californica), also known as the valley quail, became the official state bird in 1931. A widely distributed and prized game bird, it is known for its hardiness and adaptability. Plump, grey-coloured and smaller than a pigeon, the California quail sports a downward curving black plume on top of its head and black bib with white stripe under the beak. Flocks number from a few to 60 or more in the fall and winter months, but in the spring break into pairs. They nest in hollows scratched in the ground and concealed by foliage, and their eggs, 6 to 28 in number, are creamy white and thickly spotted with golden brown.
Economy:
Agriculture: Vegetables, fruits and nuts, dairy products, cattle, nursery stock, grapes.
Industry: Electronic components and equipment, aerospace, film production, food processing, petroleum, computers and computer software, tourism.
Flower:
California Indians cherished the poppy as both a source of food and for oil extracted from the plant. Its botanical name, Eschsholtzia californica, was given by Adelbert Von Chamisso, a naturalist and member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, who dropped anchor in San Francisco in 1816 in a bay surrounded by hills of the golden flowers. Also sometimes known as the flame flower, la amapola, and copa de oro (cup of gold), the poppy grows wild throughout California. It became the state flower in 1903. Every year April 6 is California Poppy Day, and Governor Wilson proclaimed May 13-18, 1996, Poppy Week.
Motto:
The Greek word "Eureka" has appeared on the state seal since 1849 and means "I have found it". The words were probably intended to refer to the discovery of gold in California. Archimedes, the famed Greek mathematician, is said to have exclaimed "Eureka!" when, after long study, he discovered a method of determining the purity of gold. In 1957, attempts were made to establish "In God We Trust" as the state motto, but "Eureka" was made the official state motto in 1963.
Nickname:
"The Golden State" has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in 1968. It is particularly appropriate since California's modern development can be traced back to the discovery of gold in 1848 and fields of golden poppies can be seen each spring throughout the state. The Golden State Museum is also the name of a new museum slated to open in late 1998 at the California State Archives in Sacramento. The museum's exhibits will bring to life the momentous events of California's history through a series of innovative, interpretive exhibits.
Origin of state's name:
Named by Spanish after Califia, a mythical paradise in a Spanish romance written by Montalvo in 1510.
Seal:
The Constitutional Convention of 1849 adopted the Great Seal of the State of California. The seal was designed by Major R. S. Garnett of the United States Army, and proposed by Caleb Lyon, a clerk of the convention. The Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, has at her feet a grizzly bear and clusters of grapes representing wildlife and agricultural richness. A miner works near the busy Sacramento River, below the Sierra Nevada peaks. The Greek word "Eureka" meaning "I have found it", probably refers to the miner's discovery of gold. Near the upper edge of the seal are 31 stars representing the number of states with California's anticipated admission. Just as Minerva sprung full-grown from the head of Jupiter, California became a state on September 9, 1850, without having to go through a territorial stage.
Tree:
The California redwood was designated the official State Tree of California by the State Legislature in 1937. Once common throughout the Northern Hemisphere, redwoods are found only on the Pacific Coast. Many groves and stands of the towering trees are preserved in state and national parks and forests. There are actually two species of California redwood: the coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) and the giant sequoia (Sequoia gigantea). The coast redwoods are the tallest trees in the world - one reaching over 360 feet tall grows in the Humboldt Redwoods. One giant sequoia, the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, is 272 feet high and more than 36 feet in diameter and is widely considered to be the world's largest tree overall.