CA joined the union decades after 1776. Here’s what it looked like before it became a state

Summary by The Los Angeles Editorial Desk · Byline on the source page: Maya Mukherjee, as published by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) · July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

Photo: LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) · view original

An indigenous California tribe during the 1890s. Angelenos are getting ready to celebrate the 250th Independence Day across the city. But did you know California didn’t join the U.S. until 74 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed?This week, S...

Sources and story details

Frequently asked about this story

What is this story about?

When was this published?

This article was first published on July 3, 2026 by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio) and curated for The Los Angeles readers.

Who reported this story?

This story was reported by Maya Mukherjee at LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio). To learn more about how The Los Angeles selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards.

Where can I find related coverage?

See more library coverage from The Los Angeles, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs.

Summary created by	The Los Angeles Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed
Byline on source page	Maya Mukherjee, as published by LAist (KPCC / Southern California Public Radio)
Original story	Read at the source
Source published	Jul 3, 2026
AI assistance	Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text
Prepublication human review	No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples

More from The Los Angeles