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San Francisco's History

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Spain was the first European continent to settle in San Francisco. On November 2, 1769, the Spanish exploration party was attempting to expand the Spanish colonial territory from the south. They named the city after St. Francis and put down roots in 1776. Spain held the port until the Mexican revolution. The area later became Mexican upon its independence and eventually became isolated. It was during this time that European and American settlement increased. On January 30, 1847, the United States claimed San Francisco during the Mexican-American War.

During this time, San Francisco was still a small settlement in spite of its functional location as a port and naval base. However, two years later the city grew rapidly because of the California gold rush in 1848 that brought an influx of migration and immigration. The population rose from 1,000 to 25,000 by December 1849. The silver mines in 1859 continued to help increase population, and eventually the mining, banking, and railroad industries became primary economic influences in the city.

In 1906, San Francisco experienced a devastating earthquake and fire. The fire burned out of control due to the loss of water supply and 80% of the city was destroyed. Over 3,000 died during the tragedy, while refugees stayed temporarily in Golden Gate Park. San Francisco, however, was quickly rebuilt and the phoenix on the city’s flag symbolizes its “rebirth” from the ashes of the fire.

The city became more accessible with the opening of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in 1936 and the Golden Gate Bridge in 1937. Population continued to escalate in the 1940s as the city was an important military base in World War II. The city was transformed even further in the 1950s with the launch of major freeways and the redeveloping of many neighborhoods. Today, San Francisco continues to draw people from all walks of life. In the second half of the 20th century, San Francisco became a magnet for America’s counterculture, attracting artists, rock musicians, writers, and hippies. It eventually became the base of the Gay Liberation movement and even today San Francisco has the highest percentage of gay men and lesbians than any other U.S. city.

Today the city continues to flourish as high technology is a staple of San Francisco’s economy. Unfortunately, homelessness is still a significant problem in San Francisco as it has the highest number of homeless people per capita of any major U.S. city.

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