| ThE HiStOrY | CoOl FaCtS | NeAt PlAcEs |

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.