The last American troops left Vietnam 40 years ago. California’s black granite Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Capitol Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary. But the memories of that war on […]
AB 395 [1858] Rep(or)t Fed(eral) Rel(ations) April 21 [1858] on “Nigger Bill” Mr. President The Committee on Federal Relations to whom was referred Assembly Bill No 395. Entitled “An Act […]
The presence of African Americans in California dates from the days of Spain and Mexico. By the time California entered the Union, African Americans comprised a small but vital community. […]
James Marshall’s discovery of gold along the American River on January 24, 1848 forever transformed California. Nearly one hundred thousand migrants rushed to the Mother Lode region of the Sierra […]
Placer gold, or surface gold, was relatively abundant in California’s waterways when the Gold Rush first began in 1848. Early prospectors initially used primitive tools such as picks, pans, and […]
State Capitol Construction, Part III After its formation in 1856, the Board of State Capitol Commissioners immediately solicited architectural designs for the proposed state capitol building. On August 13, 1856, […]
State Capitol Construction, Part II The legislature first provided for the construction of a state capitol building in 1856, creating the Board of State Capitol Commissioners to handle contracts and […]
State Capitol Construction, Part I The California Constitution of 1849 stipulated that the first session of the new legislature be held in San Jose. In subsequent years, both Vallejo and […]
This version of the California State Seal was used in the early 1860s on the letterhead of various state entities, including the Governor’s Office and the Office of the Adjutant […]