1. Spanish Explorers Of CALIFORNIA
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sails along the coast of Alta California
Sebastian Vizcaino discovers and names Monterey Bay
Gaspar de Portola leads a walking expedition , including Father Junipero Serra, from Mexico to the Monterey Bay

2. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo set off to explore the Pacific Coast in search of a northern route connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean called the "Straits of Anian.” It was never found, but it is believed that he sailed as far north as Oregon. Cabrillo was the first Spanish explorer to sail along the coast of what is now California.
Juan Cabrillo
Primary Source:
Juan Cabrillo's Jounal

3. Sebastian Vizcaíno
Sixty years later, in 1602, Sebastian Vizcaíno, too, sailed up the coast of Alta California. Vizcaino entered the harbor in what is today known as the Monterey Bay on December16th of that year. He named the bay after the viceroy of Mexico, the Count of Monte Rey. For nearly 200 years explorers used the maps of the coastline he created during that journey.
Sebastian Vizcaíno
Primary Source:
Vizcaino’s Diary

4. Diary of Miguel Costansó
Gaspar de Portola
In 1769, Gaspar de Portola lead an overland voyage back to the Monterey Bay using the maps and descriptions from Vizcaino’s travels. His mission was to find locations for settlements along the California coast. Father Juan Crespi and Miguel Costanso recorded the events of the expedition. On the day of Saint Lawrence, the Portola expedition camped on the shore of what is now known as the San Lorenzo River.
Gaspar de Portola
Primary Source:
Diary of Miguel Costansó
Portola Expedition,

5. Father Junipero Serra Primary Source: Letter from Junipero Serra
The expedition led by Portola included Father Junipero Serra, the President of the Missions. Serra made it as far north as Monterey, then stayed there to serve as mission president. He died in 1784, seven years before Mission Santa Cruz was dedicated.
Primary Source:
Letter from Junipero Serra
Primary Source:
An early map illustrating the route of "El Camino Real" in 1821, along with the 21 Franciscan Alta California missions. The road at this time was merely a horse and mule trail.

6. California State Standards
3.3 Students draw from historical and community resources to organize the sequence of local historical events and describe how each period of settlement left its mark on the land.
Research the explorers who visited here, the newcomers who settled here, and the people who continue to come to the region, including their cultural and religious traditions and contributions.
Technology Foundation Standard:
Technology research tools Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
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