|
California went from a colony of Spain, to part of Mexico, to a United State…all in the span of 28 years.
In 1821, Mexico received its independence from Spain. California became a northern colony of Mexico, and radical changes were soon on the way. The missions, Catholic outposts that dotted the California coastline, were soon secularized and much of the land was sold. Ranchos sprung up all across the state, as native-born Californians quickly grew rich on the enormous tracts of land.
Over the course of the next two decades, more and more European explorers traveled to California – Jedediah Smith and his beaver trappers became the first overland European visitors in 1826. By 1846, the United States was at war with Mexico, and when peace was declared and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, California became a part of the United States.
In this Featured Topic, you will discover more about the brief stint of Mexican rule in California. You will learn about ranchos, the secularization of the missions, and how the California state flag came into being.
Using the links on the left hand side of the page, discover the brief history of Mexican rule in California – how did it begin, what happened with the missions, what are ranchos, and what brought about the end of Mexican rule?
Read a brief history of Alta (or Upper) California. Then discover what ranchos are and where they were located.
Learn about your state flag…when was it made and why was it flown?
|
