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Present-day Baja California of Mexico was misrepresented in early maps as an island.This example c. 1650. Restored. The first European explorers, flying the flags of Spain and of England, sailed along the coast of California from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century, but no European settlements were established.
The Spanish settlement of Alta California was the last colonization project to expand Spain's vastly over-extended empire in North America, and they tried to do it with minimal cost and support. Approximately half the cost of settling Alta California was borne by donations and half by funds from the Spanish crown.
Las Californias claimed by Spain under the governance of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, 1768–1804; Portolá-Crespí Expedition 1769–1771, Discovers Most of California Coast from San Diego to San Francisco, Claims Land for Spain. Pedro Fages 1st Expedition 1770 Discovers East San Francisco Bay, Salinas Valley & Santa Clara Valley.
The commanding officers prepared to dispatch the San Antonio back to Lower California New Spain, to report to viceroy de Croix and visitador Gálvez about the expedition. On July 1, just as the ship was about to sail, the Portolà/Serra party arrived in San Diego in good health, with 163 mules loaded with supplies.
The Province of Las Californias (Spanish: Provincia de las Californias) was a Spanish Empire province in the northwestern region of New Spain.Its territory consisted of the entire U.S. states of California, Nevada, and Utah, parts of Arizona, Wyoming, and Colorado, and the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur.
Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as Nueva California ('New California') among other names, [a] was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula , it had previously comprised the province of Las Californias , but was made a separate province in 1804 (named Nueva California ). [ 1 ]
The name of California and its mythical ruler Queen Calafia, originate in the 1510 epic Las Sergas de Esplandián, written by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.. There has been understandable confusion about use of the plural Californias by Spanish colonial authorities.
Late in 1775, Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza led an overland expedition over the Gila River trail he had discovered in 1774 to bring colonists from Sonora New Spain (Mexico) to California to settle two missions, one presidio, and one pueblo (town). Anza led 240 friars, soldiers and colonists with their families.