088: The Portolá Expedition and the Discovery of the San Francisco Bay
In 1769, Spain feared it was about to lose the Pacific coast. Russian traders were moving south from Alaska, British naval power was rising, and Spain had no permanent settlements north of Baja California. In response, imperial officials launched a land-and-sea operation known as the Sacred Expedition — a march that would found San Diego, search for the lost harbor of Monterey, and lead a small overland party to the first recorded European sighting of San Francisco Bay.
The Portolá Expedition (1769–1770) was the first Spanish overland exploration of coastal Alta California, organized to…
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