Before California was a State
Archaeology
and Ancient Artifacts - California State Parks
Learn about studies being done to gain insight on how former Californians
lived.
Native Peoples
History
of California Indians - National Park Service
Read about events, procedures, laws, and situations that confronted
and greatly affected
California Indians and their ability
to survive once Europeans arrived.
Overview
of California Indian History - California Native Americans
Heritage Commission
Learn more about the Native Americans of California by looking
at the tribes inhabiting similar climatic and ecological zones.
Tribes and
Languages of Native Californians - California Native Americans
Heritage Commission
View a map showing the Native California languages and tribes.
Welcome
to Chumash Indian Life - Santa Barbara Museum of Natural
History
Learn more about the Chumash Indians, whose homeland lies along the
coast of California,
between Malibu and Paso Robles, as well as on
the Northern Channel Islands.
Spanish and Mexican California
Settlement
of Alta California - National Park Service
Read of Juan Bautista de Anza's 1775 expedition from Mexico to colonize
Alta California.
Spanish
and Mexican Heritage Properties - California State Parks
See a list of state parks with connections relating to Spanish and
Mexican explorations.
The Gold Rush
The
Rush for Gold - California Environmental Resources Evaluation
System (CERES)
Read a brief history of the California Gold Rush with links to other
resources.
The
Gold Trail - California Division of Tourism
Read about travelers who followed the call of gold.
Gold Rush
Exhibit - California State Library
See items from the State Library's Gold Rush Exhibit.
Golden Dreams - Huntington Library and California State Library
Tour this virtual exhibit depicting days of the Gold Rush and after.
Statehood to Present
The
Transcontinental Railroad - California State Railroad Museum
Read about the building of the first railroad to cross the nation.
Formation
of Counties - California State Association of Counties
See brief histories and historical facts about California's counties.
State Government Develops
Governors
of California - Office of the Governor
Get a portrait, a biography, and a chronology of each of California's
governors, starting in 1849.
California's
Lieutenant Governors - Office of the Lieutenenant
Governor
See a chronology of California's Lieutenant Governors.
Brief
History of State Governance - California Constitutional
Revision Commission
Read the essay: "An Overview of the History of Constitutional
Provisions Dealing with State Governance."
Records
of the Constitutional Convention of 1849 - California
State Archives
View images of the original 1849 California Constitution both
in English and Spanish.
State
Agencies and Departments - California Digital Library
Read about the beginnings and development of several state agencies
and departments.
Government
History Exhibit - California State Parks
Help the State Capitol Museum gather state government history.
History
of the Capitol Building - Legislative Counsel of California (PDF)
Learn about the early location changes for the Capital of California
and about the building of the State Capitol.