California is easily the largest state in terms of population with thirty-six million plus residents.
At one point it had the largest number of distinctive tribes of Native Americans. In fifteen forty-two (1542) the Portuguese explorer João Rodrigues Cabrilho was one of the first to examine its coastline, and then in the year fifteen seventy-nine Francis Drake claimed for himself a very small section of the state.
The real progress in its history began however when Spanish missionaries began setting up in the northern parts of the state.
In the year eighteen twenty-one (1821) Mexico along with its occupancy of California gained independence from Spain.
However, some time later U.S settlers began to call California home along with Canadian trappers. This would later go on to become a huge power play, as the most famous of trails, the Oregon Trail was used by many pioneers to move through the mountains into California.
Between the years of 1846 and 1848 the American/Mexican war was raging and the United States navy set about the American occupation of California.
Once gold was discovered, it took no time for California to grow in population. So soon in fact with the arrival of hopeful pioneers that just a couple of years later in 1850 it would be admitted to the Union as the 31st state.
