California History

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Welcome to California: This official California government website offers information on the people, the history, and the culture of California.
California History Online: This timeline covers aspects of California history from Native Cultures to The Great Depression.
California Heritage Collection: An online archive of more than 30,000 pictures illustrating California's history and culture,
Museum of the City of San Francisco: Find out about the Gold Rush, the Great 1906 Earthquake and Fire, and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Fourth grade California history review: This site supports the Oh, California text with additional material.
Shake the State: Exhibits, games, quizzes, and other activities to learn about the state's history and government. There is a "This Day in California History" feature (in Research and Resources). Links include voter resources, state and local officials, museums and historic sites.
State Insignia: You know about the state flower and the state bird, but did you know that California also has a state fossil, a state marine mammal, and a state reptile? Find out about 26 state insignia here.

California Indian Heritage: Features a California Indian timeline, information on tribal groups and their way of life, a directory of California tribes, and links to resources. From Senator Barbara Boxer.
The Living Culture and History of California Indians: The Home page is a map of California Indian group areas. Index Page of resources for Chumash, Miwok, Ohlone, Pomo, Yokuts, and Yurok tribes. Student and teacher resources included.
Chumash Indian Life: This website includes information about the Chumash people's daily lives, as well as resources archived by the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Visit the museum and experience the Chumash people, "the ones who make shell bead money."

The California Mission Site: Featuring two histories for each of the twenty-one California Missions, with color photographs, black and white sketches, and authentic mission music.
California Missions: Click on the mission map to find information about any of the 21 missions.
California Missions (UC Riverside): This site features historic photographs of all 21 California Missions, from as early as 1895.
Virtual Reality Panoramas of the California Missions: Visit a mission! These amazing photographs show you exactly what it is like to be in a particular spot - you can look in any direction, as well as up and down, and zoom in and out. Requires QuickTime.
An Uncommon Mission: A online exhibit of paintings of the missions by Father Jerome Tupa, a Benetictine monk. Background information and related resources are provided about each mission, plus resources and activities for teachers and students.

Life in California Before the Gold Discovery - by John Bidwell
Read General Bidwell's own account of how he came to California.
The California Gold Rush: Articles, photo gallery, and illustrated history of the gold rush, as well as a video demonstration on how to pan for gold.
Gold Rush! (Oakland Museum of California): An online museum exhibit of photographs, paintings, and objects from the Gold Rush. Also includes lesson plans.
Gold Rush (Sacramento Bee): The Sacramento Bee newspaper provides information about the people of the Gold Rush, their way of life, routes to California, and the gold rush's legacy.
The Gold Rush (PBS): This site includes lots of great information on the Gold Rush including Gold Fever, The Journey of the 49ers, and the Californios, and people such as John Sutter, Levi Strauss, James Beckwourth and more. With classroom resources.
The Gold Rush: Companion web site for the PBS documentary film, from Idaho State University.
Discovery Online, Wayback Machine — Gold Rush: The Wayback Machine takes you to the days of '49, and lets you hear John Sutter, James Marshall, and Sam Brannan speak.
The Donner Party: PBS website tells the tale of the ill-fated emigrant group who set out for the promised land of California in the spring of 1846, only to meet with disaster in the snows of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Angel Island: Angel Island was the "Ellis Island" of the west and was the first stop in America for many immigrants, including the Chinese and Japanese. Includes a live webcam of the site!
Angel Island: Chinese Immigration History: Tour the Angel Island immigration station and learn about what many immigrants had to endure to become US citizens.

San Francisco Chinatown: Facts and history of Chinatown are included in this guide.
California State Railroad Museum: Explore and learn about the railroads at this museum site.
State of California SCO: Kids $ense!!: The economics of California, brought to you by the State Controller's Office.
California's Wildlife: Biological information on more than 600 California amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. Detailed and very technical, no pictures.