After Italian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered and claimed the New World for Spain in 1492, the Spanish began sending expeditions to explore, conquer and settle their new discovery.
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa: In 1513, Balboa led the first European expedition to the Pacific Ocean and claimed the Pacific Ocean and all the lands adjoining it for the Spanish Crown. The Spanish believed that a city filled with silver and gold existed somewhere in their land called New Spain.
- Hernán Cortés (also spelled Cortez): then Governor of New Spain, Cortez sent an expedition in 1539 to explore the full length of what the Spanish named the Sea of Cortés (also called the Sea of Cortez) and named the land along the southern coast Baja California.
- Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo: In 1542 Cabrillo led the first European exploration of what is now the west coast of the United States. Cabrillo sailed north from New Spain to Alta (upper) California and discovered a bay that he called San Miguel, what is now the San Diego Bay. Cabrillo’s expedition continued north, sailing past present-day San Francisco, claiming all lands along the coast of Alta California for the Spanish Empire.
- Sir Francis Drake: in 1579, knowing that Spain held claim to the territory, British captain, Sir Francis Drake, sailed his ship the Golden Hind into a bay just north of present-day San Francisco and claimed the coast and all of the land for England. While the exact location is still disputed by historians, it is believed Drake may have anchored at what is now Bodega Bay. To avoid a conflict with Spain, England never publicized its claim or attempted to establish a settlement.
- It wasn’t until the mid-1700s, when Russian and British fur traders from the north started hunting sea otter pelts as far south as San Diego, that Spain felt the need to prove their ownership of Alta California by establishing settlements.
- Don Gaspar de Portolá: In June 1769, then Governor of Baja California, Don Gaspar de Portolá, established the Presidio of San Diego. San Diego was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Coast and served as the base of operations and military for the Spanish through their colonization and exploration of Alta California.
- Portolá’s expedition went on to establish presidios (forts) north from San Diego to Monterey and became the first Europeans to enter San Francisco Bay when, in 1770, they accidentally sailed almost 60 miles past Monterey and had to turn around. The bay was named for Saint Francis (San Francisco) de Assisi.
- Beginning in 1769, the Spanish founded a string of 21 Missions along the coast from San Diego to north of San Francisco Bay to Christianize the Native Americans living in Alta California and to further demonstrate their ownership of the territory.
- Since the only form of transportation at the time was on foot or on horseback, most of the missions and presidios were built about 30 miles apart–equal to one long day’s walk or ride, and the mission trails became the main corridor of travel along the coast used by soldiers, missionaries, merchants and explorers. The Spanish called the trail El Camino Real (The Royal Road) and we still travel over parts of the road today. It’s believed that the priests, or Padres, sprinkled mustard seeds along the trail in order to mark it with bright yellow flowers.
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