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It is believed that the name "California" derived from a Spanish novel, Las Sergas de Esplandian, written in the 15th-century. The book told of a mythical island located
It is believed that the name "California" derived from a Spanish novel, Las Sergas de Esplandian, written in the 15th-century. The book told of a mythical island located near the Indies. It was described as being something like an unearthly paradise. The people that dwelt on this wondrous island, according to the tale, were beautiful women likened to Amazons who loved war. Their weapons and armor were made of gold, of course. Perhaps it was this somewhat believed myth of gold that fired the imaginations of the first explorers to California. In 1540, Hernando de Alarcon traversed the Colorado River on several occasions and may have been the first white person to visit California. That same year, in October, Melchoir Diaz was dispatched from Coronado's expedition to contact Alarcon. In the process, Diaz visited California near where Alarcon had previously. Two years later, on September 28, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered San Diego Bay in the southern portion of the present-state. He named it San Miguel then continued northward up the coast as far as Point Concepcion. Cabrillo returned to San Miguel Island and on January 3, 1543 died there. Seemingly, no other explorations or discoveries of note to or in California were performed until 1579, when on June 17, Francis Drake and his expedition landed at a location now called Drake's Bay. Drake made claim to the area for England but little else was accomplished to establish the English ownership. In time Spain staked her claim in the area as far north as present-day Oregon. Spain, like England, made no effort of colonizing California at the time. It would be another two hundred years before more exploration would occur. Until 1769, the golden shores, the high snowy peaks, and the vast central desert-lands of California would remain a paradise occupied by a vast variety of native inhabitants. Sources: Salitore, Evelyn D. Editor-in-Chief. California: Past, Present, Future. California Almanac Company, 1973. Trover, Ellen Lloyd, State Editor. William F. Swindler, Series Editor. Chronology and Documentary Handbook of the State of California. Oceana Publications, Inc. Dobbs Ferry, New York, 1972. San Diego Bay, California photo provided by: Brodebund© ClickArt 750,000 500 Redwood Blvd Novato, CA 94947
The copyright of the article Early Exploration of California in American History is owned by Mary Trotter Kion. Permission to republish Early Exploration of California in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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