Stories from California's Past

California's history is full of interesting stories about the people who came here from around the world and how they interacted with each other once they got here.

The Native Americans are the people that have been in California the longest. The history of many tribes extends back over 10,000 years! These tribes found many ways to use the natural resources. For example, the Chumash living on the coast of Southern California got most of their food from the ocean while the Maidu of the Sierra Nevada Mountains hunted deer with bows and arrows.

The California coast can be very dangerous because of its rocky shore and foggy weather. A few explorers, such as Sir Francis Drake of England braved these obstacles to arrive at California's mythical lands. However, the Native Americans were left largely in peace until the 1700's when the Spaniards started to worry that other countries might try to claim California and take it away from them. They needed to find a way to start a Spanish colony quickly.

Catholic priests were sent as missionaries across the blazing hot desert and through uncharted waters by boat to establish missions in California and convert the Native Americans to cristianity. The idea was to find large numbers of Native Americans to build the missions, tend the crops, care for the cattle and generally perform all of the work of the mission. All of the food produced by the Native Americans at the missions would support the presidios - military outposts of Spanish soldiers.

Altough a few Native Americans came willingly to the missions and appreciated learning new ways of life, the majority desparately wanted to return to their families and continue the traditions their ancestors had followed for generations. Unfortunately, most Native Americans were not allowed to leave the missions. The Spanish needed them for manual labor. When the Native Americans tried to escape the mission they were tracked down and punished by the Spanish soldiers.

The missions only lasted about 70 years before Mexico won its independence from Spain and decided to dismantle them. However, this was long enough to change the lives of the Native Americans forever. Many had died in the waves of new diseases brought unsuspectingly by the Spaniards. Others died at the hands of the Spanish soldiers. Many more were ripped from their culture and tribal community to work in the missions.