California, as we know it today, was once part of a larger Spanish colonial administrative unit known as Las Californias. This designation encompassed both the northern and southern regions of the California peninsula.
The Era of Las Californias
During the Spanish colonial period, particularly after the establishment of missions in Alta California around 1769, the territories that would later become the U.S. state of California (known as Alta California) and the Mexican states of Baja California (known as Baja California) were unified under a single administrative umbrella.
- Las Californias: This term was used by the Spanish to refer to the combined administrative territory. It served as a single unit, overseeing both the northern (Alta) and southern (Baja) parts of the Californian region.
- Administrative Center: The capital of Las Californias was Monterey, a significant hub in Alta California.
- Jurisdiction: This vast territory fell under the authority of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, which was based in Mexico City. This meant that the governance and policies for Las Californias were ultimately directed from the heart of the Spanish colonial empire in North America.
This unified approach facilitated the administration and development of the region, including the expansion of the mission system and the establishment of pueblos and presidios. The separation into distinct entities, with Alta California eventually becoming part of the United States and Baja California remaining part of Mexico, occurred much later in history.
