If California were a country, it would have the fifth-largest economy in the world – so it’s hard to believe it’s only been a part of the United States since 1850. But with incredible natural landscapes, coastal scenery and rich cultural heritage, this wonder of the west epitomises everything you need to know about the American Dream.
Read on to discover the fascinating history of California – told through extraordinary vintage photos...
California’s earliest settlers migrated across the Bering Strait from Asia some 15-20,000 years ago, giving rise to more than 500 Indigenous groups. Before modern transport, the state’s soaring mountain ranges and desert landscapes meant tribes such as the Chumash (whose colourful petroglyphs are pictured here), Cahuilla, Pomo, Miwok, Tolowa, Maidu, Cahto, Karok, Mojave, Paiute, Maidu and Modoc lived in largely isolated family clans, each with their own unique cultures.
When Spanish novelist Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo wrote about the mythical 'island of California' – a paradise where gold abounded and powerful women ruled – he never imagined the name would be applied to a real place. In 1535, 'California' was first used for the Baja California Peninsula during Hernan Cortes's expedition, inspired by the fictional isle. In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first European to set foot in what is now California, and today his landing point in San Diego is marked by this statue. Over time, 'California' was used for the Baja Peninsula and the northern territories, leading to the division between 'Baja California' and 'Alta California' during the Spanish colonial period.
In the 18th century, Spanish colonialists expanded their reach, and from 1769 to 1823 established 21 missions along what became known as El Camino Real, from San Diego to San Francisco Bay. These missions served as religious communities where Franciscan friars sought to convert Indigenous populations and secure Spain's territorial claims. The first mission, San Diego de Alcala, was founded in 1769 but burned down in 1775 during an Indigenous uprising, with a new mission later built on the same site (pictured around 1900). These missions had a profound impact on Indigenous communities, spreading European diseases and imposing a social order that eroded native cultures.
After the Mexican War of Independence sent the Spanish packing, Alta California came under the rule of Mexico. This change in governance made it easier for foreign traders and pioneers to venture westward. In 1841 John Bidwell (pictured) and John Bartleson, both from settled areas in the eastern United States, led one of the first organised overland parties from Missouri to California. Known as the Bartleson-Bidwell Party, their journey was a major milestone in westward migration, paving the way for larger waves of American settlers that followed in the 1840s.
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By the mid-19th century, American settlers outnumbered Mexican citizens in California, fuelling a growing desire for self-government. In June 1846 rebels declared California an independent republic under a flag daubed with a grizzly bear and a lone star – earning the name the Bear Flag Revolt. Although the California Republic lasted only 26 days before the US military took control as part of the broader Mexican American War, the flag's emblem endured and was officially adopted as the state flag of California in 1911.
Perhaps the most pivotal moment in California’s fortunes came on 24 January 1848, when James W Marshall, a carpenter working at Sutter's Mill near Coloma, California, spotted flecks of gold in a riverbed on the estate. This chance discovery would change California forever, leading to a massive migration of fortune seekers from around the world and dramatically transforming its economy and population.
Within a year Gold Rush fever was in full swing, and California saw around 300,000 prospectors flocking to the region in pursuit of the American Dream. Dubbed 'the 49ers' (because the peak of this migration occurred in 1849), they came seeking fortune and fame, but the harsh reality was that few struck it rich. Instead, it was often the merchants and entrepreneurs who provided goods and services to the miners who truly profited. The legacy of the '49ers' continues today, most notably in the name of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.
With hundreds of thousands of people – mostly men – coming from Europe, Australia, China and other regions, California became a melting pot for new populations and a hotbed for entrepreneurs spying an opportunity to make a buck. The state’s population tripled between 1850 and 1860, though the mixing of different communities wasn't always harmonious. Nevertheless, it laid the groundwork for the state's rich cultural diversity, and today the majority of California's population belongs to an ethnic minority.
The Gold Rush brought prosperity to many, but its effects were devastating for California's Native American population. Within 20 years of gold being discovered, an estimated 80% of the Indigenous population had been wiped out, with up to 16,000 Native Americans killed and many more lost to disease. The California government enshrined the discrimination in law, giving white settlers free rein to arrest Native Americans for minor infractions, put them to work as punishment and even take custody of their children under the guise of 'apprenticeship'. Pictured here are a group of Northern Paiute people in Yosemite Valley, taken around 1875.
Just two years after the US acquired the territory of California from Mexico, ending the Mexican American War with the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, the region was admitted to the Union. On 9 September 1850, known as 'Admission Day', California became the 31st state, an event celebrated widely across its towns and cities. This artwork depicting the occasion was created shortly after the event by English artist Frank Marryat. Today, California is the third-largest state in the US, following Alaska and Texas.
With statehood came the need for a state capital, but California's capital wasn't always based in Sacramento. San Jose was the first seat of government in 1850, but it soon proved inadequate. The capital then moved to Vallejo in 1852, where politicians arrived to find their offices unfinished, leading to another temporary relocation to Benicia in 1853. By 1854 they’d decided on Sacramento, and the current Capitol building began construction in 1860, pictured here in about 1866.
Though California was far removed from the battlefields of the Civil War, the state was still deeply affected by the conflict. The population was divided between Union loyalists and pro-Confederate Democrats, known as 'Chivs', with some even proposing to split the state. Despite internal divisions California played a vital role in supporting the Union, contributing significant gold resources and sending troops, such as the Third Infantry California Volunteers (pictured), to bolster the North's efforts.
The Civil War highlighted California's isolation from the rest of the United States, bringing the long-discussed idea of a cross-continental railroad to the fore. The construction of the Transcontinental Railroad began in the 1860s, fuelled by the availability of cheap labour, particularly from the large Chinese immigrant population in California. By the mid-1860s, Chinese workers made up nearly 90% of the Central Pacific Railroad's workforce, with their numbers peaking at around 15,000. These labourers endured harsh and often deadly conditions, and while the railroad was completed in 1869, it came at the cost of many lives.
The Gold Rush not only boosted California's fortunes but also gave rise to cultural icons, including blue denim jeans. These jeans emerged from gold miners' need for durable workwear suited to the tough conditions of mining. German immigrant Levi Strauss, based in San Francisco, teamed up with tailor Jacob Davis to use copper rivets to reinforce the seams of denim pants, creating a practical and enduring piece of clothing. First sold from a shop in San Francisco, these riveted jeans have since become a global fashion staple.
Jeans weren't the only innovation in San Francisco in the 1870s – August 1873 saw the debut of the city's iconic cable cars with a journey along Clay Street. Devised by Andrew Smith Hallidie as an alternative to using horses on the city's steep hills, the cable car system revolutionised urban transport. The cable cars remain a beloved feature of the city to this day, even achieving the status of National Historic Landmark.
In the early 19th century, it seemed unlikely that California's vast wilderness would ever be anything but ancient forests and rugged peaks. However, forward-thinking conservationists foresaw the need to protect these natural landscapes for future generations. Yosemite (pictured) was first recognised for its unique beauty when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant in 1864, placing the land under California's care. In 1890, following efforts by conservationists like John Muir, Yosemite, along with Sequoia in the Sierra Nevada, was designated as a national park, securing its protection at the federal level.
Gold wasn't the only natural resource hiding beneath California's surface. In 1892, prospectors Edward Doheny and Charles Canfield struck oil in Los Angeles after spotting a sticky substance on the ground near what is now Echo Park. Their discovery led to the Los Angeles City Oil Field, stretching from today's Koreatown to Dodger Stadium, and marked the beginning of California's oil boom. The 1920s brought even greater oil discoveries in Huntington Beach, Long Beach and Inglewood, where fields of oil derricks (pictured) sprang up, producing as much as a quarter of the world's oil supply at their peak.
It took just a few moments on the morning of 18 April 1906 to change the face of San Francisco forever, when a devastating earthquake struck, killing around 3,000 people and reducing much of the city to rubble. Even after the immediate danger had passed, fires continued to rage through the city for days, laying waste to nearly 500 city blocks. As a result, half the city's 400,000 residents were left homeless, with many seeking refuge in camps set up in the Presidio, Golden Gate Park and other areas until the rebuilding efforts could begin.
Hollywood is synonymous with blockbuster films today, but the movie industry actually has its roots in New York, where Thomas Edison’s motion picture patents tightly controlled the burgeoning sector. However, the lack of strict patent enforcement in California allowed filmmakers to operate more freely, and with its plentiful land, diverse scenery and reliable weather, California was a director’s dream. In 1911, Nestor Studios became the first motion picture studio in Hollywood, sparking the rapid establishment of around 15 more studios within the next year, setting the stage for Hollywood's rise as the heart of the film industry.
Debates over women’s suffrage in California had been intensifying for decades, and in 1911, the question of whether women should be allowed to vote was finally added to the ballot. Supporters mounted a large-scale campaign, but when San Francisco rejected the measure and it only narrowly passed in Los Angeles it seemed their efforts might be in vain – until the rural votes were counted. These votes were more supportive, and the proposition passed by just 3,587 votes, making California the sixth state in the US to allow women to vote and stand for office.
All eyes will be on LA for the 2028 Summer Olympics – but it won’t be the first time the Californian city has hosted the Games. In fact, Los Angeles has already hosted the Olympics twice, in 1932 and 1984, making it the second US city (after St Louis, Missouri in 1904) to put on the prestigious event. The 1932 Games were also notable for being the first to create an official Olympic Village for competitors to stay in, and for pioneering the use of more advanced photo-finish technology for tight calls.
It’s hard to imagine San Francisco without its most famous landmark – but the imposing structure of the Golden Gate Bridge is in fact less than a century old. Construction began on 5 January, 1933, marked by a groundbreaking ceremony held at nearby Crissy Field. The bridge was completed in 1937, linking San Francisco to Marin County across the Golden Gate Strait and becoming a symbol of the ever-expanding city.
Given its remote location in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz has long been used as a prison of sorts, first for military convicts – including 19 Hopi Indians from Arizona who had passively resisted efforts to assimilate them into American life – and from 1934 as a federal prison under the Department of Justice. That’s when high-profile prisoners including Al Capone, George 'Machine Gun' Kelly and the 'Birdman of Alcatraz' Robert Stroud – along with a dramatic escape attempt in May 1946 – gave the prison its fearsome reputation.
The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 shocked the nation – but few felt the fallout more viscerally than the huge population of Japanese Americans living along the West Coast. Less than three months later, President Franklin D Roosevelt signed an executive order authorising the forced incarceration of over 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were US citizens. These individuals were sent to internment camps in remote and often harsh locations, where they were held under poor conditions without due process. This action is now recognised as one of the most egregious violations of civil rights in US history.
California Governor Earl Warren once remarked, “The war has caused us to actually jump into our future,” and he was right. The state not only played host to the founding meeting of the United Nations at the San Francisco Opera House in 1945 – an event that brought President Truman to the West Coast (pictured) – but also benefited from military spending that continued into the Cold War era. With around 140 military bases in the state, and many returning veterans finding work in the booming aerospace and automotive industries, California’s economy grew rapidly.
When Walt Disney opened the doors to a new amusement park in the heart of Anaheim on 17 July 1955, he launched a cultural juggernaut that has since spanned the globe. The original Disneyland is the only park to have had Walt Disney's personal involvement, and despite a challenging first day of opening – complete with shoes stuck in freshly laid asphalt and shortages of food and drink due to unexpectedly large crowds – the park quickly became a beloved destination. With the help of Mickey, Minnie and friends, Disneyland is still going strong today.
Major League Baseball is more than just a sport – it's a way of life, especially for New Yorkers who once passionately supported the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. So it came as a shock when two teams that had NYC in their DNA decided to move from the East Coast to the West. The Dodgers relocated to Los Angeles, while the Giants headed to San Francisco, both drawn by the promise of modern stadiums and new, enthusiastic fan bases. Their West Coast era began with a historic match against each other on 15 April 1958, in San Francisco (pictured), kicking off a new chapter in baseball history.
After a successful screen career playing characters with his trademark charisma and charm, Ronald Reagan set his sights on politics, rising from Hollywood to the White House over the course of several years. He campaigned for fellow Republicans, including delivering a powerful TV address during the 1964 presidential election that helped raise a million dollars for Barry Goldwater's campaign. Reagan’s own political ambitions were realised when he served as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, and later when he won the presidency in 1980. He is pictured here with President Richard Nixon in 1969.
The spectacular growth of technology companies that began in the 1950s boomed in the 1970s, transforming the corridor from Palo Alto to San Jose into the world’s leading hub of technological innovation. This region, known as 'Silicon Valley' thanks to its focus on silicon-based integrated circuits, became the birthplace of key innovations like personal computers, video games and networking systems. Central to this transformation were Steve Jobs (pictured), Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, who co-founded Apple in 1976. Their groundbreaking Apple I and II computers revolutionised personal computing, and there's a high likelihood you're reading this on an Apple device right now.
In 1997, California hit a remarkable economic milestone, becoming the first US state to boast a gross state product (GDP) of $1 trillion. This landmark achievement wasn't just a number – it was a bold statement of California's role as a global economic titan. With its rich tapestry of industries, California's diverse economy was firing on all cylinders, and this trillion-dollar triumph solidified its reputation as a beacon of innovation and economic dynamism.
In 2003 California witnessed a political drama worthy of Hollywood. Amid growing dissatisfaction with the state’s budget crisis and energy woes, Democratic Governor Gray Davis was ousted in a rare recall election. On 7 October 2003, voters elected actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger as the new governor. True to his famous line, "I'll be back", Schwarzenegger proved he wasn’t a one-term wonder, winning re-election in 2006 and continuing his tenure as the Governator.
In the 2020s, California continues to lead as a progressive powerhouse. As the nation’s largest economy the state maintains its position as a global leader with ambitious goals for carbon neutrality by 2045. Despite ongoing challenges like housing shortages, wildfire risks and the impacts of climate change, California remains at the forefront of opportunity, innovation and forward-thinking government.