WHEN
What are the years they were founded and incorporated?
Los Angeles was discovered in 1781 and was incorporated in 1850
WHERE
Where in California is it located?
Los Angeles , city, seat of Los Angeles county, southern California. The city sprawls across a broad coastal plain situated between mountains and the Pacific Ocean; the much larger Los Angeles county, which encompasses the city, contains some 90 other incorporated cities.
Who were the original tribal land inhabitants on which it was built?
It was originally settled by indigenous tribes, including the Chumash and Tongva hunter gatherers.
WHO
Who were the historical people that discovered/established this city and where were they from?
In 1769 when Gaspar de Portola, a Spanish soldier and explorer, and a group of missionaries from Europe camped on what is now the banks of the Los Angeles River. In September 1771, Father Junipero Serra and a group of Spaniards founded the San Gabriel Mission as the center of the first “community” in an area inhabited by small bands of Gabrielino Indians. Ten years later the Pobladores, a group of 11 families recruited from Mexico by Capt. Rivera y Moncada, traveled from the San Gabriel Mission to a spot selected by Alta California Gov. Felipe de Neve to establish a new pueblo. The settlement was named El Pueblo de la Reyna de Los Angeles (The Pueblo of the Queen of the Angels). Over time, the area became known as the Ciudad de Los Angeles, “City of Angels.”
HOW
How did this city come together?
On September 4, 1781 a group of settlers consisting of 14 families numbering 44 individuals of Native American, African and European heritage journeyed more than one-thousand miles across the desert from present-day northern Mexico and established a farming community in the area naming it "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula" which in English translated to "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula". Over time this community would grow under the flags of Spain, Mexico and eventually the United States.
How did the city of Los Angeles change the shape and impact the State of California?
This is the largest city in California. It established itself as an important center of commerce, agriculture, tourism, and industry. For more than a century it has been indelibly associated with a benign climate, extensive leisure, and outdoor recreation, as well as the special aura of celebrity associated with Hollywood. Los Angeles is a place of extraordinary ethnic and racial diversity, owing largely to immigration. The county features a wide range of financial and business services, high-technology manufacturing, and craft and fashion industries such as jewelry, clothing, toys, music, and, most famously, movies. By the end of the century the fastest-growing sectors for employment were construction, transportation, public utilities, finance, insurance, real estate, and government services
WHAT
What did I see on my travels to this city?
My travels to Los Angeles have covered a vast area ranging from beaches, amusement parks and museums. My favorite spot is the Santa Monica Pier. I also watched, “Disney on Ice,” at the famous Staples center in downtown LA. I flew out of the Los Angeles International airport when we took family trips internationally.
What are some Historical landmarks located in this city?
El Pueblo de Los Angeles, the Hollywood sign, the Watts tower.
What are some of the fun facts about this city?
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It is illegal to lick a toad in the City of Angels.
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The Hollywood sign originally said “Hollywoodland.”
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If Los Angeles were its own country, its economy would be bigger than Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and Sweden’s.
Sources
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. (2019, July). Los Angeles. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Los-Angeles-California
City of Los Angeles. (2019, February). The History of Los Angeles. Retrieved from https://www.lacity.org/residents/history-los-angeles/history-los-angeles
History. (2019 February). Los Angeles. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/los-angeles-california
