Californias first settlement began on a trail called El Camino Real, or The Royal Road, that was traveled by missionary pathfinders, soldiers, and conquistadors on a dramatic journey into a mysterious land. Monterey was discovered in 1603, leading to the quest. Explorers Don Gaspar de Portol and Juan Bautista de Anza, along with ambitious Franciscan missionaries, founded 21 monumental Spanish missions and several asistencias and chapels for native neophytes, travelers, and visitors to Alta California. Following the initial landing in 1769 at San Diegos seaport, Fr. Junpero Serra founded Mission San Diego de Alcal, Californias first landmark, at the original presidio site. The mission stands today exactly where it was moved, rebuilt, and completed in 1813. The native populations of California witnessed years of change from a sleepy province to the status of US statehood. The Spanish missions forged the powerful underpinnings of the Golden States earliest settlements 80 years prior to the worlds largest migration to California, the 1849 Gold Rush.
Pocket-sized guidebook to the eclectic architecture of San Diego County. Grouped by neighborhood/community location, with brief overviews of each area and a photo of each building.
Discusses the mission at San Juan Bautista from its founding in 1797 to the present day, including the reasons for Spanish colonization in California and the effects of colonization on the Mutsun (a tribe of the Costanoan) Indians.
The story of the missions is a compelling human drama that is a vital piece not only of California history, but also of American history. Indeed, many keys to California's past lie in the stories of the 20 missions that stretch along the state's west coast from San Diego to San Francisco. This vital series is compatible with the mission-based curriculum used in fourth-grade California classrooms. It resonates equally with all social studies programs that explore the defunct notion of colonialism and its controversial role in the history of the United States, and with curricula that seek to explore the interaction of different cultures and the rights and voices of indigenous peoples.