Calisphere: University of California Libraries
Univ. Of California: Calisphere: Early California Exploration and Settlement
Images showing early California exploration and settlement dating from 1780s through the 1830s and describing the social, political, cultural, and economic life and interactions among pre-Columbian people of California.
Other
Cabrillo College: An Introduction to California's Native People: Missionization
This site discusses the mission movement in California and its effect on the Native Americans. Timeline of the missions' founding is also provided.
Other
American Journeys: Background on Francisco Palou and Father Junipero Serra
Find background information about the life of Father Junipero Serra and his biographer, Father Francisco Palou. Read about the missions they established in California and their work in converting Native Americans to Christianity. Click...
Calisphere: University of California Libraries
University of California: Calisphere: Gold Rush Era: Everyday Life and People
A collection of primary source photos from 19th-century California which portray what everyday life was like during the California Gold Rush.
University of California
University of California: Robert B. Honeyman Jr. Collection
This collection at the University of California-Berkeley can now be accessed online through the Online Archive of California. It provides a vast collection of historically significant primary source images of early California and the...
Other
Native American Documents Project
This scholarly project from California State University analyzes the effect of the Dawes Act, or General Allotment Act, which divided Indian lands into individual holdings to promote assimilation by deliberately destroying tribal...
Calisphere: University of California Libraries
University of California: Calisphere: 1870 1900: The Transcontinental Railroad
Original photos and images highlighting the impact that the Transcontinental Railroad had on the lives and perspectives of Americans and Native Americans.
University of California
Shapes and Uses of California Indian Basketry
This is an illustrated comprehensive overview of Native American basket types. Discusses different styles and what they are used for.
Other
Gold, Greed, & Genocide: The Story of California's 1849 Gold Rush
Use the table of contents to explore this site which recounts the plight of the Native Americans who lived in California before the Gold Rush and the impact of the gold rush on their lives.
Sacred Text Archive
University of California Publications: Indian Myths of South Central California
Delve into many of the tradtional myths which accompany the south central California Native American cultures.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Five Views: A History of American Indians in California
A history of five tribes in the California Native American culture area.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: Us History Map: Arctic, Northwest Coast and California Tribes
A brief description of some of the main Native American tribes that lived in the Arctic, along the Northwest Coast, and in California.
Library of Congress
Loc: California as I Saw It: First Person Narratives, 1849 1900
The Library of Congress makes available these eyewitness accounts of California's history from 1849 to 1900.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: United States History Map: Indians
An interactive site showing the Native American culture areas and the major tribes living in those areas before the arrival of the Europeans. Click to find out more about Indians living in those area and find a game that challenges you...
Digital Public Library of America
Dpla: Spanish Missions in California
This primary source set uses documents, photographs, and artwork to tell the story of the development and impact of Spanish missions in California during the Mission period.
Other
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: The Chumash People of California
A thorough look at the Chumash people of California. Read about their unique plank canoes, basketry, language, and cave paintings. Many pictures of artifacts and drawings accompany the information.
Other
California Missions Resource Center
Peruse this thorough resource featuring historical California missions stretching from San Diego to San Francisco as the Spanish established themselves on the west coast of North America between 1768-1853. Read stories of the early...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: America's History in the Making: Contested Territories
This site highlights the westward expansion of settlers in North America and the effects this expansion had on Native Americans between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
University of California
Hearst Museum: Native Californian Cultures
An exhibition of Native Californian Cultures showcases food, clothing, tools, ceremonies, musical instruments, games, and other aspects of various tribes.
Oakland Museum of California
California's Untold Stories: Natives and Immigrants
This site provides a tour through the history of natives and immigrants to the California Gold Rush area, including African American, California Indian, Chinese, and Latino.
Other
California State Military Museum: Mariposa Indian War, 1850 1851
The California State Military Museum has captured the history of the Indian Wars. This is a synopsis of the Mariposa Indian War which occurred between 1850-1851, the best known battle during the Gold Rush years.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Redwood National Park: American Indians
A brief overview of the California Indian cultures from the northwestern part of the State: Tolowa, Yurok, Hupa, and Karuk.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Channel Islands National Park: Native Inhabitants
Read about the Chumash lived on the Channel Islands off the coast of California, how they built plank canoes from redwood trees to sail in the ocean, and why they were such successful traders.
Other
Historic Trails: Oregon/california Trails
Find a map of the Oregon Trail and California Trail and click Historical Trails tab to discover the hardships and daily grind of traveling on the Oregon Trail.