When looking at American history, circa 1776, most people focus on the eastern colonies fighting for independence, but what fewer people remember is that, on the other side of the continent, new colonies were being formed! After establishing that a land route to the San Francisco Bay was attainable in 1774, Juan Bautista de Anza gathered thirty families (240 people) on a colonizing mission to claim the Bay for Spain! They marched for 1,800 miles, crossing deserts, mountains, and rivers until, at last, 8 months and 4 days later, they arrived in San Francisco, ensuring that future California cities would be given Spanish names and not Russian ones!

Neat fact: Anza’s family was actually Basque (Anssa), but when his family won favor with the Spanish crown, they received the honorable title of “de” Anza!