Spanish Settlements on the Pacific Coast 



Yet, by a fortunate accident, viewed from the 

 standpoint of the United States, development of 

 California under Spain was narrowly averted. What 

 California most needed was communication with 

 the outside world. Natural resources there were in 

 plenty, but everything else was lacking, settlers w^ith 

 families, domestic animals, seeds for planting, and 

 manufactured articles of every variety. Existing 

 routes from San Bias, Mexico, "^by sea direct or by 

 way of Baja (Lower) California were never ade- 

 quate to supply the needs of California. One other 

 possibility remained, that of opening a route over- 

 land from Sonora, Mexico. This was done in 1774, 

 resulting in a pronounced advance of the Cali- 

 fornia settlements. But the old difficulty, lack of 

 funds or unwillingness to apply them in so distant 

 a part of her realms as Sonora, caused Spain to 

 lose the advantage of this route only seven years 

 after it was opened. Weak establishments had been 

 made on the California side of the Colorado River 

 opposite what is now Fort Yuma. Ill-provided for 

 by Spain they became an annoyance to the Indians 

 of that vicinitj^ who in 1781 destroyed both settle- 

 ments. No serious attempt was ever made again by 

 Spain to reopen the Sonora route to California. 

 Thus the colonies in California had to go ahead 

 with what they had, supplemented to some extent 

 by shipments from San Bias and by illicit traffic 

 with foreign ships. 



This then is the meaning that lies behind the 

 picturesque life of Spanish California. Had there 

 been no 1769 or 1781, there would have been no 

 1848, insofar as that marks California's formal entry 

 into the Union. Spain would almost inevitably 

 have discovered gold, but for the Yuma massacre, 

 although she might not have reaped the benefit for 

 herself. But, these things did not happen, and Cali- 

 fornia and the entire JDoast were held by Spain and 

 Mexico, as it were in trust, for later delivery to the 

 United States. 



There were five principal elements in the social 

 and administrative organization of Spanish Cali- 

 fornia: the presidios, pueblos, ranchos, missions, 

 and Indian tribes. The last named were connected 

 with each of the other four, but also existed in 

 great numbers beyond the pale of Spanish settle- 

 ments. It has been estimated that there were 700,- 

 000 Indians in California when the Spaniards first 

 came. This figure may be too high, but the number 

 was certainly very great, far in excess of what it 

 was at later periods or is today. To hold them in 

 check there was a total Spanish population of little 



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