California Mission History
Although the settlement of California did not begin until 1769, forces were at work only the year after the first voyage of Columbus, which ultimately brought Spanish missionaries to the Golden State of today. In 1493 Pope Alexander …
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Historical Background
The history of occupied California dates back to the summer of 1769, but the history of the missions can be traced to 1493, just after the discovery of America. Between the two dates, there is an interval of …
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Saint Junípero Serra
Miguel José Serra, a Franciscan missionary to the Indians of California was born November 24, 1713, at Petra on the island of Maiorca (Spain). He was the son of Antonio Nadal Serra and Margarita Rosa Ferrer who married …
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Early Hardships in San Diego
The first Spanish soldiers and missionaries of Alta California endured many hardships since their arrival in San Diego. The first settlement on Presidio Hill was a mere hospital camp where most of the early colonizers perished from scurvy …
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California Mission Music
The area of North America known as California was named by Hernan Cortez (ca. 1536) after the mythical island paradise described by Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo in Las sergas de Esplandian, published in 1508. Upper or Alta California, …
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California The Golden State
Named after a fabled island in “The Deeds of Esplandian” by Montalvo… written in 1500. The romantic epochs of California history parade before us in picturesque array… the conquistador, the cowled monk, the trapper, miner, emigrant and the …
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California Missions Timeline
Stretching from San Diego to Sonoma, the twenty-one beautiful missions that line the state of California remind us of our nation’s past. Under the Spanish king Charles III, plans were made to extend the Spanish domain into Upper …
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Cardinell Vincent Postcards
The Cardinell Vincent Postcards Collection is one of the best full sets of mission photographs ever produced. The photographs are unadorned early images rendered in sepia tone and were taken between the late 19th and early 20th century. …
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