Cabrillo Day in California
Cabrillo Day in California is observed annually on September 28 to commemorate the landing of explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot in California in 1542. The origins of Cabrillo, including his date of birth and birthplace, remain uncertain, with suggestions of either Portuguese or Spanish roots. His significant contributions began with his involvement in the Spanish conquests of Mesoamerica, which included participating in the capture of the Aztec capital. During an expedition commissioned by the viceroy of New Spain, Cabrillo embarked on a journey along the Pacific coastline, ultimately claiming the region for Spain at what is now San Diego Bay. His expedition faced challenges, including conflicts with native populations and harsh maritime conditions, leading to his eventual death on San Miguel Island in 1543. Cabrillo Day, officially declared by the California state legislature in 1935, highlights the diverse cultural perspectives surrounding Cabrillo's legacy, as it is celebrated by Californians of both Portuguese and Spanish descent. This day serves as a reminder of the complex history of exploration and its impact on the cultural tapestry of California.
Cabrillo Day in California
In California, September 28 is observed in honor of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, an explorer who was the first European to land in California on this day in 1542. His date of birth is unknown, as is his birthplace, which may have been in Portugal or Spain. Cabrillo's last name was apparently a nickname, either assumed by Cabrillo himself or added by contemporaries as a means of differentiating the navigator from others named Juan Rodríguez.
A professional soldier and mariner who served Spain, Cabrillo arrived in Mexico with the expedition of the Spanish conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez in 1520. Participating in the earliest Spanish conquests of Mesoamerica, the adventurer accompanied another conquistador, Hernando Cort‗s, in the capture of the Aztec capital at what is now Mexico City. He later joined an exploratory party into Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Having proved his mettle, Cabrillo was enlisted by Pedro de Alvarado, the governor of Guatemala, to help subdue the natives. When Alvarado decided to leave Guatemala and explore the as yet unknown area to the northwest of Mexico, he recruited Cabrillo for the expedition.
Interest in the lands northwest of Spanish Mexico was stimulated not only by pure adventurism and curiosity, but also by widespread rumors about the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola in the fabulous “Isle of California.” Moreover, the prospect of establishing profitable trade connections with Asia and of discovering the western mouth of the elusive Northwest Passage (the interoceanic strait that supposedly joined the Atlantic and Pacific oceans) provided additional allure. In the 50 years following Christopher Columbus's discovery of the New World in 1492, slow but steady progress had been made in penetrating the unexplored regions on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the North American continent. In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean. After the western shores of Central America had been explored, tentative steps were made northwards along the Pacific coast. By 1539, it was clear that Lower California was a peninsula. In the following year, Hernando de Alarcón became the first European to set foot in Upper California when he sailed up the Colorado River from the Gulf of California as far as the Gila River. The stage was therefore ready for Cabrillo, who was to be the first European to touch upon the Pacific coastline of what is now the United States.
Cabrillo apparently assisted Alvarado in building the fleet designed for the unexplored northwestern lands, and may have been present when Alvarado was killed while quelling a native revolt on the western coast of Mexico in 1541. The viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, who took responsibility for the fate of the fleet, assigned two ships to Cabrillo. The new commander set sail from Navidad, a small port on the western coast of Mexico, on June 27, 1542. The two vessels crossed the Gulf of California and continued along the western shores of Lower California until, on August 20, they reached Cape Deceit (Cabo del Engaño). At that time it was the northernmost point touched by previous Pacific mariners. Cabrillo's expedition then cautiously skirted the untested coastline. Some 90 days away from their home port, the sailors approached the islands off northern Mexico that are opposite what is now known as San Diego Bay. In the dark, they glimpsed native campfires. The following day, they sailed into one of the naturally landlocked harbors of the world, which Cabrillo described as a “closed and very good port.” He named it San Miguel (the name San Diego was later given to the bay in November of 1602 by Sebasti‗n Vizca(no, a Spanish explorer and merchant).
There, on September 28, 1542, the fleet anchored. A handful of its crew disembarked, probably at Ballast Point, a small stretch of land jutting out into the bay. The landing party, although attacked by natives and suffering three casualties, briefly explored the area. Cabrillo laid claim to the “Isle of California” in the name of the king of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, by planting the imperial flag.
On October 3, 1542, the expedition put out to sea once more to further explore the coast of Upper California. Four days later it reached the islands of Catalina and San Clemente. Passing Santa Monica Bay, as well as the Channel Islands, Cabrillo sailed through the Santa Barbara Channel past Point Conception and then far northward beyond Point Reyes north of San Francisco Bay (which he failed to discover).
Driven off course by a severe storm, Cabrillo returned south to winter at what he called Isla de la Posesión, later known as San Miguel Island, the farthest north of the eight Channel Islands off the Santa Barbara coast. He anchored his two ships there on November 23, 1542. On January 3, 1543, Cabrillo died on this island, probably as the result of an infection that developed after he broke a limb sometime earlier on the voyage. He was buried on San Miguel.
After Cabrillo's death, his chief pilot, Bartolomé Ferrelo (or Ferrer) assumed command in fulfillment of the dead leader's last request that the work of the expedition still continue. They accordingly sailed northward along the Pacific coast until March 1, 1543, when they attained their northernmost point, probably the region of the Rogue River in what is now southern Oregon. The expedition returned triumphantly to its homeport of Navidad, Mexico, on April 14, 1543.
In 1935, California’s state legislature declared September 28 as Cabrillo Day. The day was celebrated by Californians of Portuguese descent, as they believed he was born in Portugal. However, some Californians claim the explorer was born in Spain and celebrate him as part their Spanish heritage.
Arellano, Gustavo. “Cabrillo Landed In California 480 Years Ago. People Have Fought Over Him Ever Since.” Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2022, www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-10-07/cabrillo-national-monument-juan-rodriguez-cabrillo-spaniard-or-portuguese. Accessed 1 May 2024.
“Cabrillo College: Founded in 1959.” Cabrillo College, www.cabrillo.edu/cabrillo-history/. Accessed 1 May 2024.
“Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.” National Park Service, 4 Oct. 2022, www.nps.gov/cabr/learn/historyculture/juan-rodriguez-cabrillo.htm. Accessed 1 May 2024.
“Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (c. 1498–1543).” San Diego History Center, sandiegohistory.org/archives/biographysubject/cabrillo/. Accessed 1 May 2024.