California

California entered the Union as the thirty-first state on September 9, 1850. Located on the Pacific coast, California is neighbor to Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and Mexico to the south. The state capital is Sacramento, in the north-central region. California obtained statehood at the conclusion of the Mexican-American War (1846–48), near the height of the California gold rush , and on the verge of the American Civil War (1861–65).

The region that became California was populated by migrants from Asia who crossed an ice bridge to North America during the last Ice Age, probably around fifteen thousand years ago or earlier. By the time Europeans began to explore the region, there were several Native American tribes living in the area.

Spaniards who had conquered the Aztecs in what is now Mexico explored southern California in the sixteenth century. Ocean travel up the West Coast was difficult because of wind and currents, so the area went mostly unsettled by Europeans until the eighteenth century.

In the late eighteenth century, as Russians explored California, Spain decided to strengthen its control of the area by establishing missions among the Native Americans. (See Spanish Missions .) The first of the missions, or stations from which missionaries could spread Christianity, was established in 1769 in San Diego. However, the missionaries had little success. Disease carried by Europeans greatly reduced the Native American population.

The Mexican period and war

Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. The mission system collapsed, and political control of the area of California became chaotic. In 1833, the Mexican government took land from the missions and gave it to political favorites for settlement. The new settlers established rancheros, ranches for cattle-raising and agriculture.

During California's Mexican period, increasing numbers of trappers, traders, and other settlers migrated to the area from the United States. The U.S. government tried, unsuccessfully, to negotiate with Mexico for the purchase of California. In 1846, the same year that the Pacific Northwest became part of the United States, settlers seized the Mexican garrison (military post) in Sonoma and declared California an independent republic. In May 1846, the United States went to war with Mexico.

Fighting in California during the Mexican-American War was slight. Californians surrendered to American explorer and militia leader John Charles Frémont (1813–1890) in January 1847. The United States won the war the following year, and Mexico ceded California to America on February 2, 1848, under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The United States agreed to pay Mexico over $18 million.

Statehood

Days before the signing of the treaty, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, a sawmill on the south fork of the American River in north-central California. The gold rush that followed brought the population of California to over sixty thousand, which was the number necessary for a territory to become a state. At that time, Congress was debating whether to allow slavery in new territories, so it failed to establish an official government for California.

Californians took matters into their own hands. Forty-eight delegates attended a constitutional convention in Monterey, California, in September 1849. The constitution they wrote outlawed slavery in California, mostly to prevent slaves from being used in gold mining instead of free men. The voters of California ratified, or approved, the constitution in November.

California petitioned Congress to become a state. Southern states objected to admitting California as a free state rather than a slave state. They relented, however, under the Compromise of 1850 . The compromise, which set out several new laws regarding slavery and new U.S. territories, cleared the way for Congress to admit California as the thirty-first state. President Millard Fillmore (1800–1874; served 1850–53) signed the admission law on September 9, 1850.

Twentieth century

California's population became increasingly urban in the early twentieth century. In April 1906, a major earthquake struck San Francisco, engulfing the city in flames for three days. Hundreds of people perished in the disaster, and around twenty-eight thousand buildings were destroyed. Within three years, twenty thousand new buildings had been erected, and the city was reviving.

California experienced an influx of migrants from the Dust Bowl of the Great Plains throughout the 1930s. Drought and devastating wind storms left thousands of people homeless and out of work. They migrated to California in hopes of finding a better life.

Millions arrived in California during World War II (1939–45). Expansion of military installations, shipyards, and aircraft plants created new jobs and attracted both whites and ethnic minorities. By 1942, Los Angeles had the second-highest Mexican population after Mexico City. Not all minorities were welcome, however. Because America was at war with Japan, the federal government suspected the loyalties of people of Japanese descent. Under the executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945; served 1933–45), ninety-three thousand Japanese American citizens were forced into internment camps until the end of the war. (See Japanese Internment Camps .)

California's major cities have captured the national imagination—Los Angeles primarily for the movie and television industry, San Francisco for its dramatic beauty and vibrant history as well as its earthquakes. Both cities have at times also struggled with a reputation for violence and social unrest. In the 1960s, San Francisco became known as a haven for hippies and the scene of the drug culture. In the 1990s, Los Angeles made the news for cases of police brutality and corruption as well as street riots. Most notable were the Los Angeles riots of 1992, which resulted after African American motorist Rodney King (1965–) was shown on video being beaten by police officers. When they were acquitted of the charge of using unnecessary force, riots broke out. In the twenty-first century, California fulfilled its image as home to the stars when citizens elected former Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947–) as governor in 2003 and again in 2006.

The state's population in 2006 was just over 36.4 million, with 60.9 percent whites, 35.5 percent Latino or Hispanic, and 12.4 percent Asian. Los Angeles was the largest city with nearly 4.0 million residents. San Diego came in second with nearly 1.3 million.

Because the state has a diversified economy, it has been able to remain more stable than others in time of recession. It is the leading industrial state and ranks first in nearly every general manufacturing category. The motion-picture industry provides hundreds of thousands of jobs. Agriculture is important to California, which grows about 55 percent of all fruits and vegetables marketed to the United States.

Tourism is another major source of employment. Each year, millions of people from across the world visit the state. Main attractions include San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, Chinatown, and Fisherman's Wharf; Disneyland, in Anaheim; the Big Sur coastal region; the state's twenty-one national parks, including Redwood, Yosemite, and Sequoia; and of course Hollywood.