Statehood 1850

California

Coastal exploration by the Spanish began in the 16th century, and Alta California was formally established as a province of New Spain in 1804. Following the Mexican War of Independence, it became a territory of Mexico in April 1822 and was renamed Alta California in 1824. During the Mexican–American War, California was ceded to the United States under the terms of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and in 1850 California joined the U.S. as the 31st state via the Compromise of 1850.

Statehood
1850
Historic sites
3,090
Military engagements
375

Pre-contact era

Human history in California began when indigenous Americans first arrived some 13,000 years ago. Spanish soldiers, settlers, and missionaries later invaded the homelands of the indigenous peoples of California, people of the Great Basin, and the Pueblo peoples in the establishment of Alta California.

Colonial history

Alta California was formally established as a province of New Spain in 1804, having previously comprised part of the province of Las Californias along with the Baja California peninsula.

The territory was re-combined with Baja California as a single departamento in Mexico's 1836 Siete Leyes constitutional reform, granting it more autonomy; that change was undone in 1846. A short-lived unrecognized breakaway state, the California Republic, existed from June 14 to July 9, 1846, before U.S. forces took control.

California joined the Union as a free state via the Compromise of 1850.

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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Explore California records

3,090
National Register historic sites
National Register listings ›
375
Military engagements
Military history records ›
1
Civil War regiments
Union, Confederate, USCT ›
29
Indigenous groups
Heritage records ›
88
Notable figures
Born in California ›
64
Colonial-era events
1492 to early statehood ›
California counties
Census population history ›
Sources

State history content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Historic sites data: National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

About California

When did California become a state?
California was admitted to the Union in 1850.
What European powers colonized California?
The territory that became California passed through several colonial periods. Alta California was formally established as a province of New Spain in 1804, having previously comprised part of the province of Las Californias along with the Baja California peninsula. The territory was re-combined with Baja California as a single departamento in Mexico's 1836 Siete Leyes constitutional reform, granting it more autonomy; that change was undone in 1846. A short-lived unrecognized
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