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100+ California History Trivia Questions and Answers

Posted on the 07 March 2020 by Smithonepa

California is a state in the United States located in the Pacific region with 39.5 million population. The state is considered as the hottest and driest place in the United States. The largest city in California in Los Angeles while its capital is Sacramento. The region was first sighted by a Spanish navigator Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542. While it became a territory of the United States in 1847 after the Mexican and American wars. Agricultural and manufacturings are the leading sectors of the state and rich natural resources such as timber, natural gas, and petroleum. This post on California History Trivia questions and answers can expand your knowledge about the history of California.

California History Trivia

California History Trivia

1. In which region of the USA the California state located?

Show AnswerPacific region

2. Which state of the USA is most populous? And do you know the total population of that state?

Show AnswerThe California state is the most populous among all, and the population is 39.5 million

3. Do you know the total area of California State in square miles?

Show Answer163,696 square miles

4. Is California a state of USA?

Show AnswerYes

5. Do you know the name of the capital of California?

Show AnswerThe capital of California is Sacramento

6. Which is the most populous city of California? What is the total population?

Show AnswerLos Angeles with 18.7 million population

7. Do you know the nickname of California?

Show AnswerThe golden state

8. When did California became a state?

Show AnswerSeptember, 9 1850

9. What percentage of California state covered by water?

Show Answer4.7% which means 7737 square miles covered by water

10. Do you know the highest elevation of California?

Show Answer14505 feet

11. Where is the lowest elevation of California located and what is the elevation value?

Show AnswerBad water Basin with -279 feet

12. In which categories history of California is divided?

Show AnswerNative American Period, European Exploration Period, Spanish Colonial Period, Mexican Period and the United States Statehood.

13. Which place is considered as the hottest and driest place in the United States?

Show AnswerCalifornia

14. Which is the largest living tree in the world located in California?

Show AnswerGeneral Sherman in Sequoia National Park

15. What is the size of the trunk of the tree?

Show AnswerSlightly greater than 102 feet.

16. What is the name of the state’s largest mountain?

Show AnswerThe Sierra Nevadas

17. What was the estimated population of California when the Europeans came?

Show AnswerAround 300,000

18. Name the tribes in California?

Show AnswerKarok, Maidu, Mojave, Yokuts, Pomo, Modoc, Paiute and Cahuilleno.

19. Why did the Franciscans came to California?

Show AnswerTo train them for the life in European Colonial society.

20. What are the most common nicknames of California?

Show AnswerThe Golden State, The Land of Milk and Honey and The Grapes State.

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California is also famous with the name of ‘The Golden State’ and ‘The Grapes State’. The area of the states is 163,694 square miles of which 7737 square miles (4.7%) are covered with water. The famous bird of the state is California quill while Gold trout is the most famous fish of the country.

California History Timeline

21. What are the percentage of Spanish speakers in California?

Show Answer28.8% population can speak Spanish

22. What is the time zone format of California?

Show AnswerUTC-08-00 (PST)

23. Do you know the USPS abbreviation for California?

Show AnswerThe USPS abbreviation of California is CA

24. Do you remember the ISO 3166 code for California?

Show AnswerUS-CA

25. What is the trade abbreviation of California?

Show AnswerCalif., Cal.

26. What is the official website address of California government?

Show Answerhttp://www.ca.gov/

27. Famous bird of California state?

Show AnswerCalifornia quail

28. Which fish is most famous in California?

Show AnswerGolden trout

29. Famous flower of California?

Show AnswerCalifornia poppy

30. California economy is the world number one sub-national economy in the world. Do you know the worth?

Show Answer$3.0 Trillion

31. What was discovered in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill?

Show AnswerGold

32. When the California Republic was declared by American settlers?

Show AnswerOn 10th June 1846

33. How and when the Republic ended within one month?

Show AnswerWhen the war between the USA and Mexico declared on 9th July 1846 and they joined the USA

34. Yerba Buena was the original name of which place?

Show AnswerSan Francisco

35. What was the strongest factor in developing California?

Show AnswerThe 21 missions by Serra and his successors.

36. In 1821 California was the part of which country?

Show AnswerMexico

37. After which war California became the part of the USA?

Show AnswerAfter Mexican-American war

38. The California gold rush started on which year?

Show AnswerIn 1848

39. Fortress Ross was establish by which country at the west coast of North America?

Show AnswerRussia

40. Mexican war of independence fought in 1821. From which country Mexico got independence?

Show AnswerFrom Spain

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The explorer of California is Hernan Cortes, Francisco de Ulloa, Francis Duke, and many others. Hernan Cortes discovered the Baja California Peninsula while exploring northern western Mexico. Francisco de Ulloa explores the west Coast and Sir Francisco Drake is famous for claiming California for England.

Explorers of California Quiz

California History Trivia

41. In 1536 who discovered the Baja California Peninsula while exploring the northern western part of Mexico?

Show AnswerHernan Cortes

42. The explorer of the west coast (current Mexico) Francisco de Ulloa was belong from which country?

Show AnswerHe was from Spain

43. When did Hernan Cortes reached Caribbean island from Spain?

Show AnswerIn 1504

44. What is the size of ‘Baja California’?

Show AnswerIt is 800 miles long and 30 to 145 miles wide.

45. On 3 May 1535, where Cortes entered with three ships?

Show AnswerThe Bay of La Paz

46. Who and when California was claimed for England?

Show AnswerSir Francis Drake in 1579

47. Who were the two most famous conquistadors?

Show AnswerHernan Cortes and Francisco Pizzaro

48. When the explorer Sir Francis Drake died?

Show Answer28 January 1596

49. For what the explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo known for?

Show AnswerFor exploring the West Coast of North America on behalf of the Spanish Empire.

50. What was the nationality of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo?

Show AnswerPortuguese

51. Who was the first European in California?

Show AnswerJuan Rodriguez Cabrillo

52. When did Sebastian Vizcaino explored California?

Show AnswerIn 1602-03

53. Where and when Sebastian Vizcaino died?

Show AnswerIn Mexico in 1629.

54. When and where the explorer Ewing Young was born?

Show AnswerIn 1792 in Tennessee.

55. What was the profession of Young before this?

Show AnswerHe was a trapper and trader in New Mexico.

56. What was the name of James Ohio Pattie’s father?

Show AnswerSylvester

57. When did Pattie and a group of trappers moved towards California?

Show AnswerIn 1828

58. In which book Pattie wrote his adventures in California?

Show AnswerThe Personal Narrative of James O. Pattie

59. Where the explorer Peter Skene Ogden was born?

Show AnswerIn Quebec City, Canada in 1790.

60. The explorer James Pierson Beckwourth was son of who?

Show AnswerHe was son of a Revolutionary War officer and slave owner.

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Some more California History facts are provided in this post. The state Oregon is in the North of California while in the East there are the Nevada and Arizona states. On 10th June 1846, California was declared as Republic by the Americans however, the Mexican-American war ended the Republic.

California History Facts

61. What was the great movement led by the backers of California Sen. William M. Gwinn?

Show AnswerTo divide California into two states: one slave and one free.

62. Where the Monterey Bay is located?

Show AnswerOn the Coast of the United State of California

63. When the contact between Europeans and California started?

Show AnswerIn the mid-1530s

64. What was the time period of seven years war during Spain colonization?

Show Answer1756-1763

65. What was created at San Jose in 1777?

Show AnswerAn independent civil pueblo.

66. What is the unofficial name of Alta California?

Show AnswerNueva California

67. When did Alta California became a territory of Mexico?

Show AnswerAfter the War of Mexican Independence in April 1822

68. Who was the first Spanish governor?

Show AnswerJose Joaquin de Arrillaga

69. What was the time period of First Mexican governor?

Show Answer1822-1825

70. Who established the first Alta California mission?

Show AnswerThe Franciscan friar Junipero Serra and Gaspar de Portola.

Spanish California

CaliforniaHistoryTriviaQuestions

71. What are Ranchos?

Show AnswerSpanish government rewarded large land grants for raising cattle and sheep.

72. What were the primary exports of California?

Show AnswerHides and tallow until the mid-19th century.

73. Who was John Wilson Marshall?

Show AnswerA carpenter from New Jersey.

74. When did Mexico gained independence from Spain?

Show AnswerIn 1821

75. When the first legislator of California created?

Show Answer9 November 1822

76. Which Constitution refers Alta California as ‘territory’?

Show AnswerThe 1824 Constitution of Mexico

77. About how many people moved to California during 1848 to 1855?

Show AnswerOver 300,000 people

78. Who wrote the book ‘California History for Kids: Missions, Miners, and Moviemakers in the Golden State’?

Show AnswerKaty S. Duffield

79. From where the name of California comes from?

Show AnswerFrom a 16th-century Spanish novel.

80. Which states is in the north of California?

Show AnswerOregon

81. What the center of the stated is called?

Show AnswerCentral Valley

82. How many types of plants blossom in California?

Show AnswerAbout 6500

83. What was the Spanish Colonial period?

Show Answer1769-1821

84. When was the first permanent mission in Baja California was founded?

Show AnswerOn October 15, 1697.

85. What Spain gained from the seven-year war between Britain and France?

Show AnswerThe French Louisiana Territory

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California History for Kids

86. Which fruits are largely produced in the state California?

Show AnswerLemons, apricots, avocados, dates, figs, grapes, kiwi, peaches and many other.

87. Which people were discriminated in the constitution developed in 1879?

Show AnswerChinese

88. What was the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882?

Show AnswerThis act suspended Chinese immigration for 10 years.

89. What is the EPIC reform movement?

Show AnswerEnd Poverty in California reform movement.

90. Which political party gained strength in California during the Great Depression era?

Show AnswerThe Democratic party.

91. Why the Republican governor Earl Warren resigned in 1953?

Show AnswerTo become chief justice of the United States.

92. Who became the new governor in 1958?

Show AnswerEdmund Brown

93. At which place California was ranked in 2012 based on its economy?

Show AnswerAt ninth place in the world.

94. What percent of United States’ wine grapes are produced in California?

Show Answer90 percent

95. On average, how many wine grapes are produced each year?

Show Answer3.3 million tons

96.  What is the highest temperature often reaches at the Death Valley?

Show Answer120 Fahrenheit

97. The national parks of the state are devoted for what?

Show AnswerFor preservation of nature and natural resources.

98. What was the time period of the U.S Civil War?

Show Answer1861-1865

99. How many cities are there in the state?

Show AnswerFifteen

100. Which Californian Constitution outlawed any form of slavery?

Show AnswerThe California Constitution of 1849.

101. What was the average number of ships traveling to California during 1825 to 1848?

Show AnswerAbout 25 ships per year.

102. What was the shortcut route for getting from the East Coast to California?

Show AnswerThe Panama and Nicaragua route.

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