History
Early History Of San Diego
San Diego’s history goes back a long time, from the time that Christopher Columbus discovered the new world in 1492, there has been many explorers that has impacted our history. On September 28, 1542 Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sails his flagship, the San Salvador, from Navidad (Mexico) into San Diego Bay on September 28, under the flag of Spain. As Juan comes along shore he decides to name his discovery San Miguel and declares it a possession of the King of Spain. Soon after Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovered San Miguel he dies due to complications of a broken leg.
The Native population of San Diego area at that time were (estimated at 20,000) it included Luiseno, Cahuilla, Cupeno, Kumeyaay, Northern Diegueno Indian groups.
After Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo lands in San Miguel, another explorer by the name of Sebastian Vizcaino is also sent from Navidad (Mexico) to explore. In 1602 Vizcaino surveys Mission Bay and Point Loma, naming the area for the Spanish Catholic saint San Diego de Alcala. Sebastian Vizcaino mapped the coastline as far as Oregon and gave many locations the names by which we know them today.
Throughout the history of San Diego there have been many missionaries who have
tried their best to convert the native people.
In 1769 Junipero
Serra,
who was a missionary, established the first Spanish church in California.
Serra named it San Diego de Alcala to honor Sebastian Vizcaino who named the bay
167 years before. It was also referred to as Mission San Diego Concepcion
de Maria Santisima
meaning "The Immaculate Conception of Mary the Most Pure." It was the first of a chain of twenty-one missions to
be established along the California coast.
The missionaries at San Diego de Alcala struggled because they were not adapted to the weather changes and the natives were reluctant to visit the missionary. So after about five years of struggling the missionaries decided to move the mission six miles upriver. The missionaries established this new mission December of 1774 and called it Nuestra Senora de Pilar. This new location showed some promise because by the end of the first year there was already 100 converts.
On November 5, 1775 the native people called the Kumeyaay (Dieguenos) attacked the mission killing Father Luis Jayme. A few months later on October 16, 1776 with the help of natives and sailors, they are able to rebuild the Church and by 1797 there were about 1,400 converts.
Even before Mexico wins independence from Spain in 1821 and San Diego comes under Mexican rule for about 25 years, San Diego was referred to as "Old Town". The missions were offered for sale and they were broken up into ranchos and sold to Mexican citizens. In 1846, the Mission San Diego de Alcala was given to Santiago Arguello. May 13, 1846 United States declares war on Mexico, invades Mexico from the east, reaching San Diego in December. When the United States took over California, the Mission was used by the military from 1846 to 1862. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln declares that all missions would become the property of the Catholic Church. When the San Diego de Alcala mission was finally given back to the church it was in ruins. San Diego De Alcala was finally restored in 1931 and in 1976 Pope Paul VI made it a Minor Basilica (which is a large and important church that has been given special ceremonial rights by the Pope)
Early Development of San Diego
1870 was an important year because there was the discovery of gold and so this lead to a population increase and by 1870 the population in San Diego was around 2300. On February 4, 1870 San Diego becomes the first city west of the Mississippi to set aside land for an urban park. The park is 1440 acres and is now called Balboa Park.
In 1885 the Transcontinental Railroad finally reaches San Diego.
The population due to the railroad increased to approximately 35,000-40,000 people in San Diego. In 1887 San Diego's Victorian Santa Fe railway station opens downtown.
During WWI San Diego was an important U.S. Naval Base and other branches of government established bases in San Diego also.
This is a picture of Camp Kearny which was established in 1917.
San Diego had many military bases and in 1919 the Navy decides to make San Diego Bay the base for the Pacific Fleet. In 1923 the Marine Corp decides to open a recruit depot in San Diego. Due to all of the military installations in San Diego it gave rise to San Diego's aerospace industry.
San Diego's economy is fairly spread out because for one it has ports that are very important. They serve as a shipping and receiving point for Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico's Baja California. San Diego is also the headquarters for the 11th U.S. Naval District. San Diego has a large aerospace, electronic, and shipbuilding industry and has many other industries that are important. San Diego is also involved in the wireless communication industry. San Diego also has Biomedical research, biotechnology industries, and oceanography. San Diego has a distribution and processing point for a highly productive agricultural area. Other manufactures include industrial instruments and machinery, computer hardware and software, apparel, and processed food. And lastly San Diego's economy also involves tourism. Its close proximity to Mexico and its rich history make it a very interesting place to visit.
