History of Los Angeles
Los Angeles is an internationally recognized city whose fame comes from its affiliation with its giant film industry. It is the entertainment center of the world, not only because of its affiliation to the entertainment industry but also because of its many world-class attractions, modern infrastructure, cultural diversity, a thriving economy, great weather and most importantly, because of its beautiful beaches on the shores of the pacific ocean. The city’s population is said to be around four million, a figure that make it one of the most populated metropolises in the U.S. with the only other city exceeding its population being New York City. Los Angeles has a beautiful Mediterranean climate that allows locals and tourists to explore outdoor attractions and events all year round.
Before the coming of the European colonialist, the coastal area around today’s Los Angeles city area was a territory dominated by the Chumash and Tongva tribesmen. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, a prominent Spanish explorer, claimed the area for Spain when on an official military exploration duty in the early 1840s. The first Spanish settlers arrived in 1769 and thus began the Spanish rule in Southern California.
Los Angeles was established as a pueblo in 1781 by some of the settles and came to be known as New Spain. It remained an undeveloped ranching community for several decades but the population kept growing and was recorded to be 650 people in 1820. The pueblo of Los Angeles achieved its independence from the legendary Spanish empire in early 1821 and continued to develop under the jurisdiction of Mexico. The Mexican–American War ended the Mexican rule in Californios and marked a new dawn for Los Angeles which had by then become the capital of Alta California.
The city started to grow into a modern community in the mid-1870s with the arrival of the railway. The discovery of petroleum in 1892 sparked an elevated growth in population in this city which became the largest oil producer in the U.S by 1923. In 1910, the thriving neighborhood of Hollywood merged with Los Angeles making the city the largest film producer from as early as 1920 and home to many famous people. The film industry shielded the city from any significant effects of the Great Depression and its population had surpassed the one million mark by 1930.
The Second World War saw the city turns into a giant weaponry manufacturer and this only helped the city discover its great manufacturing capabilities which came in handy after the war. Today, Los Angeles is a big-time commercial engine in the United States and one of the most loved cities in the world.